Glory, grit and the unknown
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday August 28, 2026 10:07
Nickname: Matebele, The Carmo Boys
Colours: Green and white
Home Ground: VTM Arena
Key signings: Jacob Everson (Jwaneng
Galaxy)
Season projection: BDF XI rarely make life easy for anyone, and their traditional discipline should again make them a difficult opponent. The challenge is turning resilience into enough victories to move away from the bottom half. With a few experienced additions, they look better placed for a steady campaign than another survival scramble.
Last season finish: 12thPredicted finish: 9thEnesia FCNickname: VakuruColours: Blue and white
Home Ground: Francistown City Council Stadium
Key signings: Yet to make major headline additions
Season projection: Promotion through the play-offs speaks to the team’s character, but the Premier League is an entirely different examination. Enesia will enter unfamiliar territory against established sides with deeper squads and greater resources. Their fighting spirit could keep them competitive, but every point will have to be earned the hard way.
Last season finish: Promoted via First Division promotional play-offs
Predicted finish: 14thExtension GunnersNickname: Mapantsula, Guna-Guna
Colours: Black and white
Home Ground: Lobatse Sports Complex
Key Signings: Kabelo Dambe (Township Rollers), Nkosi Ngxabi (Jwaneng Galaxy), and Resaobaka Thatanyane (Mochudi Centre Chiefs)
Season projection: Gunners have made the necessary reinforcements, bringing in players with quality and Premier League experience. On paper, this looks like a squad capable of moving away from danger. But stability remains the club’s old enemy. If the recurring boardroom battles are kept out of the dressing room, this could finally be a proper rebuilding campaign.
Last season finish: 13thPredicted finish: 11thGaborone UnitedNickname: The Money Machine, The Reds, Moyagoleele
Colours: Red and white
Home Ground: GU Stadium
Key signings: Tlotlo Keipedile (Black Lions), Thapelo Babedi (BDF XI), and Bame Morwalela (Sua Flamingoes)
Season projection: Title favourites, again. Back-to-back champions, a strong financial base and a squad accustomed to winning make GU the standard everyone else must chase. The biggest question is whether they can maintain that domestic dominance while carrying the demands of being Botswana football’s benchmark.
Last season finish: 1st – Champions
Predicted finish: 1stJwaneng Galaxy
Nickname: The Galaxy Stars
Colours: Red and white
Home Ground: Galaxy Stadium
Key signings: Godfrey Tauyatswala (Township Rollers), Kutlwelo Mpolokang (Mochudi Centre Chiefs), and Ayanda Lukhele (Orbit College, South Africa)
Season projection: One of GU’s biggest title threats. Galaxy know how to win, have built a formidable trophy pedigree and finished closest to the champions last season. If they find consistency and avoid the disruption that has occasionally followed coaching and squad changes, they have every reason to believe they can go all the way.
Last season finish: 2ndPredicted finish: 2ndMatebele FCNickname: The Eagles, Kuka Ntsu
Colours: Purple and white
Home Ground: VTM Arena
Key signings: Limited transfer activity
Season projection: The uncertainty surrounding the club’s registration and future has cast a long shadow over preparations. While other teams have strengthened, Matebele have been forced to operate amid uncertainty, with little financial backing and limited transfer activity. It is difficult to see how they escape a season-long battle unless something changes quickly.
Last season finish: 10thPredicted finish: 16thMochudi Centre ChiefsNickname: Magosi, Maaparankwe
Colours: Black and white
Home Ground: National Stadium
Key Signings: Mpho Kgaswane (Gaborone United), and Mosha Gaolaolwe and Omphile Vissagie (both Township Rollers)
Season projection: The biggest improvers. Chiefs have recruited like a club tired of being told it is “coming back.” The squad is stronger, the ambition is obvious and last season’s fourth-place finish provides a solid platform. The rebuilding talk is over; expectations have arrived.
Last season finish: 4thPredicted finish: 3rdMorupule WanderersNickname: The Coal Boys, Bafana Ba Magala
Colours: Blue and white
Home Ground: Palapye Stadium
Key Signings: Utlwanang Ramakgathi (Township Rollers), Karabo Gaolebale (Jwaneng Galaxy), and Clive Augusto (Dinare FC)
Season projection: A dangerous dark horse. Wanderers were inconsistent last season but still showed enough quality to finish fifth.
Their recruitment suggests they are not content with merely holding the position, and if the new faces settle quickly, they can make life uncomfortable for the established top four.
Last season finish: 5thPredicted finish: 5thNico UnitedNickname: Majombolo
Colours: Green and white
Home Ground: Sam Sono Stadium
Key signings: Karamelo Kgosipula, Freeman Molosi, and Botshelo Mangena (all Township Rollers)
Season projection: Nico have quietly put together one of the more intriguing recruitment drives of the off-season. Taking three players from Rollers gives them experience and depth, and they have an opportunity to turn last season’s respectable finish into a genuine top-half push.
Last season finish: 8thPredicted finish: 7thOrapa United
Nickname: The Ostriches
Colours: Orange and white
Home Ground: Itekeng Stadium
Key signings: Simon Bapaletswe (Township Rollers), Eric Ookame (MS Oudja, Morocco), and Monty Ratshipa (Lokgwabe United)
Season projection: Top-six stability remains the realistic target, with an outside chance of breaking into the top four. Orapa remain one of the league’s most organised teams and have strengthened accordingly. Greater consistency in front of goal could be the difference between another solid campaign and something more exciting.
Last season finish: 6thPredicted finish: 6thPolice XINickname: The Jungle Kings
Colours: Maroon and gold
Home Ground: Otse Stadium
Key signings: Yet to make major headline additions
Season projection: Police XI survived last season and will be better for the experience of a full campaign at top flight. They have enough structure to remain competitive, but without significant improvement, they could once again find themselves looking over their shoulders.
Last season finish: 11thPredicted finish: 12thPrisons XINickname: The Warders
Colours: Green
and white
Home Ground: VTM Arena
Key signings: Recruitment centred on adding top-flight experience
Season projection: Survival fight from day one. Promotion brings momentum, but Prisons have developed an unwanted reputation as a yo-yo club between the divisions. Their opening assignment away to champions GU is a brutal reminder of the step up that awaits.
Last season finish: Promoted – First Division South champions
Predicted finish: 15thSua FlamingoesNickname: The Flam Boys, Bafana Ba
Letswai
Colours: Blue and white
Home Ground: Sowa Town Council Stadium
Key signings: Thapelo Balatlheng (Township Rollers), Simisane Mathumo (Township Rollers), and Tsholofelo Speakson (TAFIC)
Season projection: Top-four contenders. Last season was no fluke. Flamingoes finished level on points with Galaxy and ahead of several traditional giants. Their recruitment suggests they intend to stay among the league’s elite rather than settle for being last season’s surprise package.
Last season finish: 3rdPredicted finish: 4thTAFIC
Nickname: Matjimenyenga
Colours: Red and white
Home Ground: Francistown City Council Stadium
Key signings: Recruitment yet to produce major headline moves
Season projection: A familiar TAFIC campaign could be on the cards: capable of upsetting anybody but needing greater consistency to turn competitive performances into points. The talent is there to survive comfortably, but they need to find another level to challenge the top half.
Last season finish: 9thPredicted finish: 13thTonota FCNickname: The Orange Machine, Sepondo Se A Debola
Colours: Orange and white
Home Ground: Francistown City Council Stadium
Key signings: Thero Setsile (Al Shomooa, Libya), Mothusi Cooper (MS Oudja, Morocco), and Duncan Otieno (Sofapaka FC, Kenya)
Season projection: The newcomers are most likely to make an immediate statement. Tonota are not entering the Premier League simply to take photographs and collect participation certificates.
The club has financial backing, quality recruitment and an ambition that stretches beyond survival. An unbeaten debut season may be the dream, but a respectable top-eight finish is a far more realistic target and one they have the resources to pursue. Tonota waited 20 years for this moment and will not want it to become a one-season visit.
Last season finish: Promoted – First Division North champions
Predicted finish: 8thTownship RollersNickname: Popa-Popa, The Blues, Mapalastina
Colours: Blue and yellow
Home Ground: GU Stadium
Key signings: Shaun Gcumeni (loan return, Lepenci FC, Kosovo), Moriana Moriana (Bantu FC, Lesotho), and Ryan Brown (Black Lions)
Season projection: A season of transition awaits. Rollers still have the badge, history and one of the biggest followings in the country, but football does not award points for nostalgia.
Significant departures,ombined with financial and sponsorship challenges, mean the new faces will have to settle quickly.
Last season finish: 7thPredicted finish: 10th