The past weekend was historic for the Ostriches' camp as the team booked a place in the group stages of the CAF Confederations Cup for the first time after disposing of Dynamos of Zimbabwe on Sunday afternoon. It was the first time in history that the Orapa side had reached the group stages of the competition whilst they also became the first local team to achieve the feat in the Confederations Cup. It needed the lottery of the penalty shoot-out after the two teams were tied 1-1 on aggregate.
Lesenya Malapela's heroics ensured that the home side sailed through, sending the Boteti region and the rest of the local football fraternity into a frenzy. But before the celebrations could die down, reports emerged that some players were involved in sexual assault after the game. Speaking to MmegiSport yesterday, Kutlwano Police Station commander, Superintendent Neo Serumola, confirmed that they have opened a case in which a 20-year-old woman said men who identified themselves as Orapa United players sexually assaulted her. Serumola said the incident occurred on Sunday night in a hotel in Francistown after the young woman and her three companions took their party from a local club to the hotel. She further said the young woman was found walking in the hotel just before noon on Monday and she felt that she was sexually assaulted by the men who had since left the hotel by then. "A 20-year-old woman reported the matter Monday morning after waking up at around 11am alone in a hotel, naked, and she was suspected to have been sexually assaulted.
She said the previous night (Sunday), she met three young men at a club who identified themselves as Orapa United players. The four of them later went to a hotel where they lodged and continued drinking until two of the young men left her with the other. She said they continued drinking until she fell asleep, but she woke up at around 11am alone, naked, and feeling she was sexually assaulted," Serumola said.
She said investigations are at a preliminary stage as the police are yet to identify the one player who remained behind with the young woman whilst the other two had left. Contacted for comment, Orapa's spokesperson, Emmanuel Seiphetho said the club is constrained to comment on the matter. "The issue is still held by law enforcement agencies. We are yet to get details of the allegation," he said.
