No Premiership action in December
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday November 10, 2025 06:07
The Zebras are set to compete in a challenging group that features African heavyweights Senegal, DR Congo and Benin.
The tournament runs from December 21, 2025 until January 18, 2026 and Botswana will sit out the upcoming FIFA international break as preparations are put on hold to allow league action.
Whilst the Zebras pause, their continental rivals will embark on the final phase of AFCON preparations in an intense nine-day training period from November 10 to 18.
This window will see teams finalising squads, fine-tuning tactics, and sharpening their competitive edge for Africa’s premier football tournament.
To accommodate the national team’s early departure and international commitments, the Botswana Football League (BFL) has announced that the domestic league will go on a break earlier than initially planned.
The FNB Premiership had originally scheduled a Christmas and AFCON pause for the weekend of December 7, but this has now been moved forward.
By the time the league pauses, only half of the 30 league rounds will have been completed.
Speaking to journalists this week, BFL CEO Billy Sekgokgoroane explained the reasoning behind the rescheduling.
'Initially, we were supposed to break for the AFCON with the last games being played on the weekend on December 7 until the conclusion of the AFCON,' he said.
Sekgokgoroane added they had a request from 'the BFA (Botswana Football Association) that they want to start AFCON preparations earlier than the (December) seventh, right at the beginning of December'.
'There was supposed to be an international break next weekend, of which the Zebras will not be part of. So we have moved some of the fixtures, all the fixtures from that weekend of December 7 to the weekend of November 15.
'The fixtures that were scheduled for December 3, their rescheduled dates will be communicated. So, we would have done an average of 14 games, and we would be one (game) behind the time we break for AFCON,' he said.
Sekgokgoroane also highlighted that the league is currently progressing through Week 11, with some clubs having played fewer matches than others.
From this weekend, only three more rounds remain before the early AFCON break, leaving teams to balance competitive momentum with logistical adjustments.
Interestingly, whilst the local contingent of players is the backbone of the league, the FNB Premiership also showcases a healthy mix of international talent. In total, four additional nationalities are represented across the 24 teams.
The Namibian contingent has featured regularly in the AFCON qualifying and preparation phases, whilst players from DR Congo, Angola, Zimbabwe, and South Africa are set to miss out, focusing on their clubs’ domestic campaigns rather than joining their national teams for the finals in North Africa.
With the Zebras gearing up for a challenging AFCON journey, the domestic league ensures both players and clubs are strategically aligned, ready to resume competition with renewed energy once the continental stage concludes.
For now, fans will have to look forward to Morocco, where the hopes of a nation ride on the black-and-white stripes of the Zebras.