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Botswana: Theatre of the Absurd At SSKB
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
COLUMN
17 March 2008
Posted to the web 17 March 2008
Mogomotsi Moloi
A bizarre theatre of the absurd was witnessed in local soccer on Saturday when a succession of comical incidents marred the Mascom Premier League match between visiting TAFIC and Mogoditshane Fighters at SSKB.
It all started when supporters were kept waiting outside the grounds because nobody was available to open the gate. The gates were opened belatedly but on entering the ground, the match officials realised that there were no markings on the pitch. After a delay of more than 30 minutes, hosts Fighters bought bags of white flour and used it to mark the pitch. The match kicked-off and Fighters conceded the first of the three goals they let in during the 3-0 defeat. An under-pressure, Fighters trailing 1-0 at the stroke of half-time sought to make a substitution, only for more drama to unfold when it was realised there were no substituting boards. After getting the signal for the substitution the fourth official Thomas Molebatsi proved very innovative, raising his fingers and shouting the jersey number of the player to be taken out. Premier League Committee secretary Setete Phuthego, who was not at the venue later told Monitor Sport that the pitch was marked but the rains washed out the markings because the ground has no grass.
"That pitch was clearly marked in the morning but the rain washed away the marks. The owners could not use paint to mark because it was raining," Phuthego pointed out.
He blamed Fighters for not arriving on time to make sure that the playing ground was in good condition. He said Fighters' officials called him 30 minutes before the game notifying him that the gate was locked. According to play rules and regulations, the hosting team should arrive at the ground two hours before the game to make sure that everything is in order. Phuthego said people should not just criticise the league because of one incident.
"Just one dent could not stop the car from moving," he said. He explained that the substitution boards are the responsibility of a company charged with managing the Mascom Premier League.
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A comment could not be solicited from Fighters' officials who were licking their wounds from the heavy defeat. Despite the odds, TAFIC did well to recover from the four consecutive losses they have suffered to humiliate Fighters. Zimbabwean internationals, Sizalobuhle Dube and Mlamuli Phikati secured victory for relegation-haunted Matjimenyenga. Dube scored a brace.
For the Samba boys, it was not a good weekend. After outwitting BDF XI 1-0 at the same venue last weekend, Letang Kgengwenyane's charges were hoping to continue the good run and perhaps improve their log standing but to no avail.
In other games, TASC beat Police XI 1-0 at Otse, defending champions ECCO City Greens held Township Rollers to a goalless draw in Francistown while relegation-haunted Nico United resurrected by beating BMC 3-0 in Lobatse. At Orapa, rampant Boteti Young Fighters overcame BDF XI 1-0.
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