In the rugged landscape of the First Division North (FND), football is often described as a battlefield. But for Maun’s favourite Sankoyo Bush Bucks, alias Ngurungu Boys, the most damaging strike of the season did not come from a rival’s counter-attack or a last-minute goal. Instead, it came from a lapse in paperwork that has left the Ngurungu Boys fighting an uphill battle for redemption.
The club, legendary for its resilient spirit, recently found itself on the losing end of a league management ruling that saw them stripped of vital points, not for their performance on the pitch, but for a stadium that remained empty when it should have been roaring. The controversy dates back to November 22 last year, a date that was marked on the calendar for a high-stakes clash against Chobe’s Ferry Wonderous FC. The Maun Sports Complex was supposed to be the stage, but when match day arrived, the gates were locked to the teams.
While the club alleged a ‘double booking’ orchestrated from as far away as Gaborone, the First Division North (FDN) committee was unmoved by verbal explanations. Without solid evidence of booking receipts or cancellation letters, the committee invoked the strict mandate of Article 9 of the BFA Play Rules, which culminated into a walkover victory for the visitors and a heavy blow to Sankoyo’s league standing. For many clubs, a mid-season points’ deduction would be a death knell for morale.
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However, the club’s interim chairperson, Anderson Thiya said in an interview that they had accepted the penalty because they viewed football as a military battlefield where players were seen as warriors. “We are hopeful that we will rise up in the log standings despite suffering a deduction of points,” Thiya said. The ‘warrior’ philosophy is currently being put to the test.
Sitting ninth with 13 points, the Ngurungu Boys are a team characterised by beautiful, fluid football that, until now, has lacked a clinical finish. They are a side that traces their roots to the elite Premier League, playing with grace that often opposes their mid-table position. To turn Thiya’s military metaphors into reality, the club has used the recent period to beef up the squad and the chairperson remains optimistic that the infusion of new talent will bridge the gap between creating chances and converting goals.
However, the ruling serves as a blatant reminder of the professionalism that is required to survive in the upper echelons of the local football. For his part, FDN chairperson, Gosaitse Diboko said while the league understands the challenges of venue management, the rules were indifferent to circumstance without documentation. “Sankoyo management communicated their challenge with us a day before the match that there is a double booking and we advised them to look for an alternative venue but promised that they will handle the situation at hand and that was not the case.
Procedurally, they should do things in writing. There was no proof, hence our ruling,” Diboko said.
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