BFA softens stance on signings

Mqondisi Dube | Friday January 18, 2019 11:30

The BFA had taken a firm stand, telling clubs that have outstanding payments against current or former employees, that they cannot sign new players during the transfer window. The midseason transfer window opened on January 9 and closes on February 8.

The regulation had slowed business down, with trading largely muted as the majority of clubs in the BTC Premiership are knee-deep in debt.

“There are no blacklisted clubs because the BFA has softened its decision and have requested that defaulting clubs should come up with a payment plan of how they will extinguish the debts,” Botswana Premier League (BPL) chief executive officer, Thabo Ntshinogang said yesterday.

As a result, there has been slight improvement in dealings, with 11 players’ registrations processed by late yesterday afternoon.  The BFA had argued that, to curb the culture of indebtedness, clubs that owe players should not be allowed to do further business.

A number of clubs face financial difficulties, which have often disrupted the smooth running of the league.

However, the clubs contend that the BFA should have introduced the new regulation at the start, rather than in the middle of the season.

The BFA’s First Instance Body issues licenses to clubs at the start of the season, and teams that fail to comply are supposed to be barred.

Further, a new financial control system will come into place. The measure, adopted from the Spanish’s La Liga after a benchmarking trip last year, will see clubs submit their budgets to the mother body, and are expected to spend within their means.