Calendar Stars face tough road ahead in relegation battle
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Friday March 20, 2026 11:50
Calendar Stars are struggling in their maiden campaign in the Botswana Premier League, sitting in 15th place out of 16 teams with 18 points, just above Santa Green, which also has 18 points.
The 2024-2025 champions, Gaborone United, lead the log with 59 points and look poised to retain their title.
Given their current position, Calendar Stars are facing a tough battle to avoid relegation, especially with only six games left to play.
In a post-match interview after Rollers' loss, Calendar Stars coach Joseph Mokgacha bemoaned his team's inability to hold on to a point.
'We lost the game in the last 10 minutes when we expected to get at least a point,” he said after the Wednesday encounter.
'I'm not giving excuses, but I'm attributing it to maybe the spaces in between our recovery and the day we are playing the match.”
However Mokgacha praised his team's first-half performance, indicating that they matched their opponents and created chances.
'The way we played and shaped, I thought we played such that we would get the ball in spaces that I thought we should have at least gotten one. We had a chance inside the 16 box. I thought, had we gotten that goal,' he continued.
With six games left, he said that the team is aware of its precarious position.
'The boys know we are in danger. We are in red and facing relegation; therefore, we want to play like the last game of our lives. But sometimes we run too much. 'We were aggressive at some point. But now the energy levels are going down. We are chasing the games,” he said.
Mokgacha remains optimistic, citing 18 points and a win away from safety.
He stated that some of the teams have 21 points and believed that they can get out of the relegation zone.
In contrast, Township Rollers' assistant coach Edwin Moalosi credited their 1-0 win to changing the game's tempo.
'We needed the points because we also wanted to get away from relegation because you are not safe until you are safe,' he said.
Moalosi expressed disappointment at the low attendance, saying supporters should show up, especially in tough times.
“If you give up on your players, on your own team, then who is going to be there for the team?”