Early struggles expose divide
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday February 9, 2026 06:00
Introduced this year as the highest tier in the women’s football structures, the new league features 10 teams each from the Northern and Southern streams. Despite its elite status, the competition remains without a sponsor, with clubs instead receiving P100,000 participation grants.
Two teams will be relegated from each stream at the end of every season, a system now threatening to push struggling regional sides out of top-flight football almost as soon as the league has begun.
The growing imbalance was brutally exposed on Sunday afternoon when Gantsi Swallows were hammered 42-0 by reigning champions, Gaborone United's (GU) Red Roses.
Speaking after the match, Swallows assistant coach, Arnold Pillar, admitted that inexperience, injuries and poor preparation have left his side out of their depth.
“It is the first time we have lost by such a huge margin. This is only our third game. In the first game, we lost 13-0, and the second one was 10-0.
“The issue is the players we have for now. Some have just started playing football, and we are still teaching them the basics,' he explained.
Pillar noted that the situation was worsened by the absence of key players who form the backbone of the team.
“Our preparation was not satisfactory, especially because around five of our key players were missing due to injuries. Most of the players who played today are new signings, and they are still adjusting to how the team plays,” he added.
The encounter also highlighted glaring medical and logistical shortcomings. Goalkeeper Amantle Chindu was forced off and replaced by an outfield player, with Swallows having no backup netminder on the bench.
Earlier on, Kefilwe Ditshwene was stretchered off with a shoulder injury but had to be transported to a nearby clinic in a private car as no ambulance was available at the venue.
“We have a qualified medic, but he was held up with other commitments and could not travel with us,' explained Pillar.
“The others assisting are not fully trained, so when we travel, especially to Gaborone, we depend on the host team for help. Even at home in Gantsi, there is usually an ambulance on standby,'
Swallows are rooted at the bottom of the 10-team Southern Stream, having conceded a staggering 65 goals in just three matches without scoring or collecting a point.
Fellow Western Block side, Western Zebras, occupy the other relegation spot after letting in 37 goals. Another struggler, El Pots FC although still pointless, remain just above the drop zone with only four goals conceded.
On the other hand Makgabza City, last season’s top-four national finalists, have collected three points so far, scoring once whilst conceding 28 goals.
The Western Block is widely regarded as one of the most marginalised football regions in the country, grappling with limited resources, inadequate playing facilities, scarcity of talent development structures and minimal coaching education.
At the regional level, leagues in the area often feature as few as five teams. With two teams set to drop from each national stream every season, there are growing fears that Western Block sides could gradually lose representation in the elite league, undermining the objective of nationwide development in women’s football.
Ironically, several established women’s football heavyweights, including Mexican Girls, Makufa, Security Systems, and Township Rollers, are currently competing in the regional leagues rather than the First Division.
Despite the heavy defeats, Pillar remains hopeful that experience will eventually narrow the gap.
“This is our first time playing in this format of competition. We believe next season will be different,' he said.
“We come from regional football, where even the playing fields are different. It is a disadvantage, but not an excuse. We must prepare knowing the conditions we will face.'
As the Women’s First Division navigates its maiden season, the early warning signs are clear without targeted developmental support and structural intervention, teams from marginalised regions risk being relegated into obscurity, turning an elite national league into a competition dominated by urban powerhouses.
In contrast, the Northern Stream has started on a more competitive note, with only Tornado Sporting yet to register a point. After three rounds of matches, just five points separate log leaders Orapa United and bottom-half side Mafia Vision, reflecting a far more balanced contest.