Push to increase Premier League teams to 18
Mqondisi Dube | Monday July 6, 2026 06:00
It comes three years after a failed push to reduce teams from 16 to 12. The BFL previously endorsed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to downsize in a staggered approach.
The proposal aimed to relegate a higher number of teams at the end of each season whilst promoting fewer from the lower divisions until the 12-team goal was reached.
Proponents of the decision to reduce teams pointed to shrinking resources and the need to enhance quality. Instead, there is now a motion on the table to increase the teams to 18.
If passed, this will mark the highest number of participating teams ever in the top flight, which was increased from 12 to 16 in 2005. Gaborone United director, Nicholas Zakhem who had previously pushed for a reduction to 12 teams, has criticised the motion to increase sides.
'It’s regressive. It will be a disaster in the making. Our neighbour (South Africa) with a population of 60million, with a league budget in the billions, has only 16 teams,' he said.
The other proposed change is an increase of registered players from 30 to 35, a motion also tabled by Gabofiwe. Extension Gunners' Karabo Koogotsitse will table for discussion the review of sports facilities utilisation fees. In other matters, the meeting is expected to adopt a competition agreement between the BFL and the Footballers Union of Botswana (FUB).
The meeting will also discuss conducting a forensic audit at the BFL, with the recommendation being that it should be abandoned. The delegates will be updated on efforts to raise new sponsorship, with the league having lost the Mascom Top 8 competition.
The BFL's financial position will also be revealed to the stakeholders amid reports that the league is P3million in the red. The football organ previously faced scrutiny over a negative balance sheet.