Palapye final exposes women's football disconnect
Kabelo Boranabi | Tuesday June 9, 2026 09:41
After months of competition, hundreds of goals, countless kilometres travelled and the launch of Botswana's first-ever national women's league structure, the inaugural league deserved a grand finale. Instead, what unfolded after the final whistle here exposed the uncomfortable gap between progress being made on the field and the value still attached to women's football off it. The newly introduced BH National Women’s First Division League National Championship, played through Northern and Southern Streams, was designed to create a genuine national championship. Orapa United emerged from the north while Gaborone United's Red Roses conquered the south, setting up a blockbuster title decider between the country's two dominant sides.
It was a repeat of last season's final. The Ostriches arrived hoping to become the first northern side to claim the national crown while the Red Roses were chasing a third consecutive title; a feat unmatched in Botswana women's football. The contest lived up to expectations with Orapa United impressive in the opening half, threatening an upset before GU's superior depth and experience took over. The champions ran riot in the second half to secure a convincing 5-1 victory in a match that produced six goals and showcased the growing quality of the women's game. Unfortunately, the football was the highlight. The decision to host the match in Palapye deserves praise. A neutral venue was the fairest solution for both clubs. However, the fixture was only confirmed days before kick-off, leaving little time for proper planning and mobilisation of supporters. Fans from Gaborone and Orapa were left struggling to arrange travel, while local supporters in Palapye appeared unconvinced by a P10 entry fee and what many viewed as inadequate promotion of the event. For a national final, the attendance was underwhelming. Then came the crowning ceremony.
There was no championship stage, no event backdrop, no fireworks and no visible attempt to transform the occasion into a showpiece worthy of the country's biggest women's football match. Compared to the Botswana Premier League title celebrations held a fortnight ago, the difference was stark. The women's national championship presentation looked less like the conclusion of a historic league season and more like a routine schools sports tournament. Perhaps most telling was the absence of the Botswana Football Association's top leadership. While regional officials and members of the newly elected Women's Football Committee were in attendance, the association's senior leadership was nowhere to be seen.
Whether intentional or not, the optics were difficult to ignore on a day that should have represented a landmark moment for women's football. The confusion continued during the trophy presentation. Red Roses lifted the Southern Stream trophy for a second consecutive time because there was no separate National Championship trophy available. The same trophy awarded for winning the Southern Stream title became the national championship trophy. The medals told a similar story. Players appeared to receive the same Southern Stream medals they had collected two weeks earlier, leaving questions about whether dedicated national championship medals had been prepared. Even more surprising was the treatment of runners-up Orapa United, who left without medals or a runners-up trophy despite reaching the national final. Individual awards also raised eyebrows. Instead of recognising standout performers from the entire season across both streams, the honours appeared heavily influenced by the final itself.
Unsurprisingly, the victorious Red Roses dominated the awards list, with Tlamelo Pheresi named best goalkeeper, Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse and Lesego Radiakanyo sharing the top scorer accolade, while Radiakanyo was voted player of the tournament. The financial rewards did little to elevate the occasion. The champions received P20,000 in prize money despite completing a season-long campaign to become national champions. The figure was notably lower than the P100,000 grants clubs received during the season and seemed out of sync with the significance of the title. To be fair, the league operated without a headline sponsor, with the BFA relying largely on FIFA funding to run the competition. Yet that reality does not fully explain why the culmination of a groundbreaking season felt so underwhelming. The tragedy is that the players deserved better. They delivered an entertaining final.
They carried the league throughout the season. They created a product worth celebrating. What they received was a ceremony that felt like an afterthought. Women's football in Botswana has made undeniable strides. The launch of a national league is evidence of that progress. But if the Palapye final demonstrated anything, it is that creating a competition is only half the job. Treating it like a premier product is the other half. On the field, the inaugural national championship was a success. Off it, the crowning moment exposed just how far there still is to go.