Francistown based Tafic Sporting Club have revealed their confusion regarding their participation in this season’s Mascom Top 8 tournament. Tafic were included in the tournament in place of BMC FC who were previously suspended from all forms of competitions in the Botswana Premier League (BPL).
Last week the BMC’s suspension was lifted, this meant that the club was restored to the BPL’s fixture program which includes the Mascom Top 8 competition. Tafic had been placed in the competition weeks earlier while BMC were eliminated from the competition pending their court battles. The former were selected to participate in the competition by virtue of being the ninth placed team last season.
The BPL’s chief executive officer, Bennet Mamelodi told this reporter that they have informed Tafic about BMC’s return to the competition. “They were informed immediately after BMC’s suspension was lifted and they have not yet responded,” said Mamelodi.
However, the club’s chairperson Gilbert Makumbo told Gazette Sport that they have not yet received any messages from the BPL concerning BMC’s return and their seemingly inevitable exit from the cup.
He said though the North East club was given a P30 000 fee to purchase two home and away kits in preparation for the tournament, they are and willing to relinquish their spot in the tournament if proper communication channels are followed.
“As far as we know we are still in the tournament because we have not been given any official confirmation about BMC’s position. We are open to the possibility of facing an exit from the competition because we are affiliates and do not have powers to make big decisions. We will not contest any possible exit because we were not in the initial group of participants,” explained Makumbo.
However, the Tafic chairperson added that they will not part with the P30 000 fee. “They gave us a grant; the money deposited to our account was not a loan and we will not part with our money. We have already purchased the kits. We will be within our rights to refuse any request to return the P30 000 fee,” he concluded.
Still in the Mascom Top 8 competition, Gabonone United has clarified reports that they could face the wrath of competition sponsors by branding another company alongside the Mascom logo. The competition’s rules and regulations state that, “teams shall not wear playing kits which bear brand names of the tournament sponsor’s competitors. Any team that contravenes this clause shall automatically be disqualified from the competition. The association, sponsors and the organizing committees shall not be liable for any costs the team may have incurred.”
Moyagoleele’s secretary general, Herbert Letsebe explained that their sponsor (Mutual and Federal) is not Mascom’s direct competitor and that they are confident that the latter will not have a problem; the club intents to insert the Mutual and Federal logo at the top of the Mascom logo.
“They are two parallel organizations thus do not expect any complaints from Mascom. The two companies are not rivals in any form at all,” emphasized Letsebe.
GU signed a three-year contract with the insurance giants two months ago. The two parties’ agreement states that the club has an obligation to wear shirts branded by the company and failure to do so would be a breach of their agreement according to Letsebe.