The clubs, Extension Gunners, Morupule Wanderers, Mogoditshane Fighters, Eleven Angels and Masitaoka were recently denied licenses and also had their appeals dismissed after failing to meet the club licensing requirements.
The decision meant the five sides were being thrown to the lowest Botswana Football Association (BFA) structure, leaving the Botswana Premier League with 11 teams. However, speaking to journalists on Wednesday, BFA CEO, Mfolo Mfolo said the national executive committee (NEC) has sent ‘prayers’ to the licensing body to give the clubs five days to correct and submit whatever was missing in their application.
He, however, indicated that the final decision lies with the licensing body. “We have pleaded that those teams that have missing information or whose faults can be corrected be given a chance to do that and pay a P15,000 fine.
It is still within the licensing body, they can still refuse. When that happens, we will then send the list of 11 teams to the league to start,” Mfolo said. He said both the FIB and Appeals body are independent from the operations of the association.
Mfolo also explained that all the clubs were taken through the paces on how they should process their applications. He said during the application, there is a stage called 'core work' where the secretariat checks every missing information for each and every application. He explained that for every missing information, each club is made aware and given a chance to make corrections before the applications reach the FIB. “Once they finish with core work, the FIB now comes to do the adjudication.
Those who have not been granted licenses are contacted and told reasons why. They are given five days to appeal, and when you appeal, you do not submit new information because you were given a chance during the core work.
The appeals body's decision is final and binding,” he said. Morupule Wanderers are said to have failed to provide information about the finance manager while Masitaoka did not submit anything for the head coach as well as physiotherapist. Mogoditshane Fighters also failed to provide information on the head coach. Gunners were reportedly denied a license because of overdue payables.
“It is a concern for us because if it is foreign players or coaches, they take the issue to FIFA, while locals take the issue to courts,” Mfolo said. Eleven Angels on the other hand are said to have failed to submit a youth development programme and there was no submission on the finance person and head coach.
