Football chews Rollers but struggles to swallow
Mqondisi Dube | Saturday June 11, 2022 06:00
The blitzkrieg is turning into a painstakingly slow process that entered its fourth month with no solution in sight. It started as a straightforward disciplinary issue with Rollers waiting for the lash on the back. But that lash has taken forever to be delivered and now the Ratanang case is morphing into a gigantic, complicated football conundrum.
It is ages since the Players Status Committee (PSC) returned a verdict of guilty five weeks ago, but the sanction has simply not come. What followed have been dramatic twists and turns, which threaten to plunge football further into an abyss. The chewing of the case was initially thought to be swift and seamless, but the swallowing is presenting unending challenges. Rollers appeared to be down for the count after the PSC verdict, but the club has been fighting back behind the scenes. Along the way, some spectacular own-goals have been scored, including the suspension of Rollers chief executive officer, Bennett Mamelodi and the quick reversal of the decision this week.
Already, three officials, who include Sidney Magagane and Motshegetsi Mafa from Rollers and former Botswana Football Association (BFA) regions and competitions manager, Phuthego Setete have been suspended as a result of the Ratanang saga. Magagane and Mafa are accused of colluding with Setete to register the player outside the transfer window; almost a full month after the process was closed. However, the case has not gathered the required pace and concluded as expected, much to the frustration of the BFA president, Maclean Letshwiti. “We need to let the due process take place. However, it is concerning when cases take long to conclude. We don’t want to interfere in the process but it is good for all if cases of this nature are concluded expeditiously,” Letshwiti said this week.
The concerns are justified as the Rollers case could have a domino effect and impact the start of the next season if left hanging for long. Rollers have appealed the PSC decision, which could throw spanners in the works, with speculation that several other players were registered outside the stipulated period refusing to go away. The Botswana Football League has challenged clubs with similar complaints to come forward. Rollers were the first to raise their hand when they alleged Security Systems were guilty of a similar offence.
However, the issue was dismissed before it could reach the hearing table. “Rollers feel hard done by why the case was not heard. The BFA was not supposed to issue a statement but instead, the case was supposed to be duly heard and dismissed on its merit,” a Rollers official speaking on condition of anonymity said this week. It appears the commission of the offence (the registration of the player outside the window) is not in dispute, but Rollers would look to exploit technical loopholes. “Who is the complainant in our case? The Player Status Committee reached a verdict without the input of Rollers,” the official said. This week, the BFA suspended National Executive Committee member, Tico Kamati for having access to the player registration system, which has been deemed an ethics breach.
It is said Kamati distributed information on other players allegedly registered outside the transfer window, as the Ratanang case could open a Pandora’s Box. Football now finds itself in a cath-22, whether to swallow a piece initially deemed chewable, or spit it out. Whichever way, there appears to be dire consequences.