- Rollers joyed “this matter has been brought to its logical conclusion”
- BFL was believed to be eager to see tougher action against errant teams
BONGANI MALUNGA
The Appeals Committee of Botswana Football Association (BFA) has officially dismissed the Botswana Football League’s appeal against Township Rollers’ P15 000 fine for improper registration of Onkarabile Ratanang last season.
BFL was seeking a harsher punishment than the one imposed by the BFA Disciplinary Committee in July and appealed the decision within days of Rollers being fined.
BFL did not openly state their grounds of appeal but it is widely believed it was driven by a desire to see the Disciplinary Committee hand out punishments like docking points or even relegation to set an example for the rest of the clubs in the league.
Last week the Appeals Committee announced that “the ruling of the Disciplinary Committee of 21st July 2022 is upheld. The BFL appeal is hereby dismissed”.
Rollers’ reaction
As expected, the dismissal of the appeal was met with great relief within the Rollers camp as they outlined their immediate plans to focus on preparing for next season.
“Township Rollers FC notes the Order and looks forward to focusing on core football matters now that this matter has been brought to its logical conclusion,” Rollers stated on the club’s social media pages.
“Furthermore, we wish to thank our fans, sponsors and other stakeholders for all the support, patience and understanding throughout this process.”
What’s next?
The Appeals Committee’s decision to dismiss the BFL’s appeal is universally regarded as the last nail in the coffin for the controversial matter. In the past, local football matters have reached FIFA but it is remains to be seen if this one has finally been put to rest.