Letshwiti stamps his authority as action finally returns
Starved of action for over a month, football fans are in for a treat this weekend as the beautiful game finally returns, putting its ugly off-field squabbles on the sidelines…for now.
Fed-up at the childish fighting between Botswana Premier League (BPL) Chairperson, Nicholas Zakhem and the rest of the board, the Botswana Football Association (BFA) have at long last put their foot down and taken control.
Briefing the media on Monday, BFA President, MacLean Letshwiti, described the last two weeks as ‘difficult’; ‘embarrassing’ might have been a more apt adjective!
“I am here to assure the public and stakeholders that football is back; Premier League matches and National First Divisions will resume on Saturday. I’d like to thank the club representatives for their assistance,” said Letshwiti.
The association’s top dog further revealed the BFA would remain in charge for the time being.
“The association has decided to dissolve the current board until further notice. All issues and duties of the board members, issues like finances, will now be done by BPL CEO, Senzo Mbatha and the BFA,” said Letshwiti, who met with BPL shareholders the previous day to map a way forward.
It seems the BFA wasted little time in stamping their authority.
Although he was reluctant to share much of what was discussed at Sunday’s meeting, he did reveal it was decided team grants would be doubled to at least P200, 000, when the rest of the TV rights money (P4 million) comes in.
In a move that will come as good news to the sides at the bottom, it was further announced that only three top flight teams will relegate to the First Division as opposed to four, which was the original plan at the start of the season.
With calm momentarily restored, (Zakhem remains adamant he was pushed out by the league’s shareholders illegally, with the matter still before Gaborone High Court), players up and down the country can finally lace up their boots and get back to what they do best: entertaining the masses!
BPL FIXTURES
SATURDAY (all kick-offs 4pm)
Morupule Wanderers vs Sua Flamingoes…. Palapye Stadium
Masitaoka FC vs Police XI ….. Dinaledi Football Academy Stadium
Security Systems vs Eleven Angels…. Lobatse Sports Complex
Nico United vs Township Rollers…. Sam Sono Stadium
TAFIC FC vs Matabele…. Obed Itani Chilume Stadium
Jwaneng Galaxy vs VTM FC…. Galaxy Stadium
SUNDAY
BDF XI vs Gaborone United…. Lobatse Sports Complex
Holy Ghost vs Orapa United…. National Stadium