GU were making their debut at the eight-team tournament held in Blantyre in the past two weeks. The Red Roses were unlucky to miss the only spot in the finals to be played later this year. In a dramatic end to their debut campaign, GU were beaten in the final by University of Western Cape (UWC) in a lengthy penalty shootout. The local side lost 9-8 but have since lodged a complaint to the regional mother body, COSAFA, on the outcome. GU claim they should have been awarded a retake for their final kick and protested the match result. COSAFA has responded and said GU were ‘clumsy’ in their protest while the referee’s final decision cannot be overturned. “Our complainant was not unsportsmanlike but rather a response to the unfairness of the match (officials). While we acknowledge that the referee’s decision is traditionally considered to be final, we cannot ignore the implications of such a decision, especially when it points to a potential bias or incompetency that casts a shadow over the integrity of the entire tournament,” said Red Roses’ team manager, Owe Mmolawa.
Mmolawa said GU is of the view that the decision of the referee needs a thorough review by COSAFA as the level of ‘unfairness’ suggested by the actions cannot be left unchecked. He further said as a club, it is their duty to uphold the integrity of the game and would persist with the protest until their voice is heard. He said the club wants a just and honest outcome. Mmolawa further said the treatment throughout the tournament favoured UWC as they were allowed to book their accommodation away from where the rest of the teams were lodging. He said the GU players had to queue and share services like catering along with other teams, which somehow impacted their overall match-day preparations. “Our position is that the accommodation paid for by COSAFA and the treatment should be the same. But why do we pick Western Cape of all teams; our position is that the COSAFA secretariat is filled and dominated by South Africans. So our resolve is that there is systematic bias from COSAFA level to make sure that Western Cape are treated superior. They get the best of the training times but we were given a schedule and we needed to comply,” said Mmolawa. He further said GU has proposed to the Botswana Football Association to bid to host the next edition of the tournament in 2025.
