Foreign players quota stirs controversy
Mqondisi Dube | Monday May 25, 2026 06:00
BFA national executive committee member, Bathusi Rathari, told journalists in Gaborone on Wednesday that the decision to trim the number of foreign players from five to three will take effect at the start of the 2026-2027 FNB Premiership season.
Last August, the BFA wrote to the BFL, communicating that the decision will only be implemented at the start of the 2027-2028 campaign.
This week, the BFA announced it will revert to a decision which was deferred last year, which will see teams only allowed to field three foreign players, down from five. The other play rule and regulation to be enforced is teams fielding youth players.
“We want to see our under-20 players fielded. Previously, we had started with registering, where we said 10 out of 30 registered by clubs should be under 20. Now we have moved to playing time,” Rathari said.
“We know some are saying we should not regulate the Premier League, but because we work together, we expect them to utilise under-23 and under-20 players.”
He revealed that the play rules and regulations will be effected next season.
“Last year, we took a resolution to allow Premier League teams to use five foreign players. But the decision that we took considered that the teams already had those players contracted and on their payroll, and it would be difficult to terminate,” Rathari said.
“We then gave them one year to utilise those players for the season of 2025-2026. But we are now reverting to the initial decision. It was only for one season. “So we wanted to remind the Premier League that it was only for one season, next season is back to three (foreign players).”
Responding to a question at the press conference, BFA president, Tariq Babitseng, said the decision was taken in consultation with the BFL, which runs the FNB Premiership.
“It is not enforced. It is what we agreed, it was in consultation, and we are merely sensitising so that we do not have teams that are getting promoted and they are not aware of it. We sat with the Premier League and said we will agree to stagger (the implementation,” Babitseng said.
However, when contacted for comment yesterday, BFL chairperson Sipho Showa, said the announcement was an “unintentional mistake” from the BFA. “The BFA has assured the BFL that the statement was made in error. It was an unintentional mistake. We are both delighted that the quota for foreign players will be limited to three from the 2027-2028 season.
“So in the 2026-2027 season, the quota will still be five foreign players,” Showa said.