The never closing north-south gap
Mqondisi Dube | Friday July 4, 2025 12:10
In the last decade, only once has the Premiership witnessed an even number of teams from both the south and north. Teams from the north are considered as those from across the Dibete cordon fence. It is the fence that defines the north and south divide, although rivalry has not really been defined along geographical location.
The most intense rivalries are actually concentrated in the south, where most of the teams are found. There is the Gaborone derby, Township Rollers against Gaborone United, whilst Mochudi Centre Chiefs and Jwaneng Galaxy are amongst the teams that add to a strong lineup found in the south.
Last season, the north’s torchbearers were TAFIC, who came agonisingly close to breaking their title trophy duck after finishing second behind GU. As a collective, the north only has one league glory to its name after ECCO City Greens tore the history books to shreds when they became champions in 2007.
Since then, the other genuine hope to land a second title has been an ever-present Orapa United, but last season they faded after solid seasons, which saw them win knockout titles. United has two Mascom Top 8 titles won in 2016 and 2020 whilst in 2019, the Ostriches bagged the Orange FA Cup. Despite their solid reputation, it has baffled many how Orapa United remain without a league title. TAFIC are the only other side from the north that have a major trophy since the turn of the millennium, after winning the Coca-Cola Cup in 2002.
Whilst the north has played second fiddle to their counterparts in the south, there has been the emergence of formidable sides that include Orapa United, Sua Flamingoes and Morupule Wanderers. The three join TAFIC and Nico United, two sides that have had a ping-pong relationship with the Premiership and the First Division.
In recent memory, only in the 2015–2016 season was there an even balance of teams from the north and south. Otherwise, it has been lopsided. In the 2014–2015 season, the south had nine teams whilst the north provided seven. It was in the following season that the north managed to even the ledger and for the first time, there were eight teams from the north participating in the Premiership.
In the 2016–2017 season, the imbalance returned as the south had 10 teams to the north’s six. It worsened in the following season when teams from the north were reduced to five, facing 11 from the south. The figures for teams in the south rose to an all-time high of 12 against four from the north in the 2018–2019 season.
There was a marginal improvement during the 2019–2020 season when the league had 11 teams from the south and five from the north.
The uneven equation persisted in the 2021–2022 season, with 12 sides from the south and four from the north. There were 11 teams from the south in the following season, whilst in the 2023–2024 season, six were from the north. The 2023–2024 season was maintained last season, but next season, there will be seven teams from the north and nine from the south, which represents a marginal shift.