31 Jan 2022

A Debswana First Division North game between Nico United and Maun Terrors billed for Sam Sono stadium was rescheduled to a later date due torrential rains in the copper mining town on Saturday.  

However, First Division North chairperson, Jonas Ikgopoleng, said the game’s venue and time would remain unchanged.  

The heavy downpours started around 2p.m when a prematch meeting was ongoing. The match officials called off the game around 5p.m, an hour post kickoff time.

The rain left the pitch waterlogged with the home side restricted to the change room while visitors stayed in their bus.

Quizzed about chances of playing the game the following day (Sunday), Ikgopoleng said his committee engaged both teams on the same.

 However, Terrors officials turned down the suggestion on the grounds that their budget could not afford a prolonged stay away from home.

In fact, the game could have been played under in the evening following the easing off of the heavy downpours, but it was discovered that the lights were nonfunctional, hence a suggestion to play the game on Sunday.

Terrors manager, Kebonyethebe Dikgathatso, affirmed the chairperson’s claims and stressed that they could have considered playing on Sunday had the First Division North committee meet them halfway.

Dikgathatso explained that his team lodged in Francistown and would be taxing for them to keep traversing between Selebi Phikwe and Francistown.

Again, the manager explained, that the team was financially struggling to afford the players meals for the Sunday encounter.

 Terrors manager suggested that they should play Nico same weekend after playing Peacemakers of Bobonong in a bid to cut costs for his financially challenged team.

He claimed that the chairperson had asked his team to engage with Nico United to find a solution to playing the game.

To his shock the issue of rescheduling the game, where his team would travel solely for the Nico game, was never tabled in a list of suggestions.

He decried that first division teams were struggling and that many of them were run from donations from well-wishers. BOPA