Pascalinah Kabi
MAFETENG
— The high profile league match between Bantu and Matlama was called off
yesterday after the visitors failed to produce players’ licences. Referee
Mohau Sentšo, together with his assistants, were left with no option but to
call off the match after Matlama failed to produce licences an hour after
kick-off. The
match between the two rivals was scheduled to kick-off at 3pm in Mafeteng.
According
to reports from both teams, Matlama team management had “mistakenly” forgotten
the licences in Maseru. Team
president Paballo Makakole was then forced to rush to Maseru to get the
licences from his car but an hour after the scheduled kick-off, the referees
called off the match.
Bantu
president Leuta Leuta said the match between the two rivals was shrouded in
controversy even before yesterday. He
said both teams’ management committees were called to Bambatha Tsita by the
premier league management committee on Friday after they received messages that
there were plans to fix the tie.
“Yesterday
(Friday) our people were called after Bantu officials received an SMS alleging
the match-fixing but when we got there, the writer said he was just writing the
message and was just dismissed,” Leuta said. The
SMS was allegedly sent by Matlama public relations officer, Lesolle Phalatsi,
to Bantu general secretary Advocate Jafta Thamae. “I
prepare my team, you prepare yours (no match-fixing). Our game needs all the
requisite fairness to grow; those who want to win by hook or crook shatter our
dreams of ever improving as the sporting code (from Lesolle Phalatsi).”
Both
teams’ coaches were however not impressed with Matlama management after they
failed to bring licences to the match. Matlama
coach, Mokoena Mohale, said his team management must go and apologise to
supporters for the blunder. “This
was uncalled for and it should never have happened in any way because the match
was a big one for both the team and our supporters,” Mokoena said. “What
is important is for the people who were responsible for this to go back to the
supporters and apologise.
“This
was a big game for our supporters who came in numbers to support the team.” He
said this was a setback for his charges who were ready to take on the
star-studded Bantu team. “It’s
a setback for us considering the magnitude of the game,” he said. Bantu
coach Caswell Moru said the “game should be considered as played because
Matlama failed to produce licences even though they knew very well that it is a
pre-requisite to produce players’ licences for any match”. He
said his team must be awarded three points for Matlama’s failure to bring the
licences.
“Bantu
should get three points and three goals but this is bad for our football in
general,” Moru said. “This
should never have happened. It is really bad and not in line with our goals to
turn professional in the near future,” he said. Match
officials, led by Sentšo, refused to comment on their decision saying “only
relevant authorities were allowed to talk to the media”.
Results:
LDF
0-1 Lioli
Joy
0-4 Linare
LMPS 0-0 Nyenye Rovers
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