According to information reaching Mmegi Sport, Toronto want the just-ended campaign to be nullified. The club argues rivals, Extension Gunners were not supposed to be allowed to register players in the off-season. As per media reports, Gunners received a ban from FIFA after failing to settle a debt with former player, Kudzanani Machazani.
The Zimbabwean left the Lobatse-based side before the start of the season after falling out with the club’s management over an unsettled debt. Machazani took the matter to FIFA and Gunners were prohibited to register players until the debt is settled. Mmegi Sport is informed that the debt is just over P60,000, which includes wages and signing-on fees. A source said there was a payment plan for Machazani’s debt and the club had not settled the balance. Machazani ironically switched the black and white of Gunners to the black and gold of Notwane in the off-season. Speaking to Mmegi Sport, a senior Notwane executive committee member said the club is finalising documentation to challenge Gunners’ participation in the just-ended season. “We are not protesting against Gunners or anything.
We are simply looking to challenge the genuineness of the league season. We have information that Gunners was banned to sign and register players because they have a debt to settle with one player, who happens to be our player now. What we want is to know how Gunners were allowed to register players and be allowed to compete. Gunners are aware of the issue and the BFA (Botswana Football Association) is also aware because FIFA has written to the BFA informing them about the ban imposed on Gunners,” the member said without going into too much detail.
This publication is informed that Notwane will present the query before the BFA as early as next week. With the Notwane inquiry, the Lekidi Football Centre is now faced with a rather busier off-season as the Township Rollers’ matter was once again postponed to Monday. Rollers are awaiting a verdict on the use of full back Onkarabile Ratanang. It has always promised to be a campaign full of drama as in the pre-season Gunners, together with Notwane, Mahalapye Railway Highlanders, Gilport Lions, and Mogoditshane Fighters were expelled from the elite league in August last year. The quintet was adjudged to have failed to meet the requirements needed to attain a full club licence. The five clubs were, however, reinstated after an appeal in early September.
