Tonota FC: The newcomer that refuses to behave like one
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday August 31, 2026 06:00
But rather than quietly admiring the view from the top, Tonota have arrived with their eyes fixed on the summit. They want to establish themselves amongst the country’s leading clubs.
The team’s chairman, Tumelo Toteng, has gone further, setting his sights on an unbeaten campaign, the league championship and ultimately continental football. For a club making its Premier League debut, it is unusually bold. But Tonota did not stumble into the elite.
They dominated the First Division North, finishing with 15 wins, seven draws, and no defeat from 22 matches, scoring 36 goals and conceding only 14.
The promotion ended a 20-year wait and, in the process, placed Thaloba ‘Machine’ Nthaga at the centre of an altogether bigger challenge. Nthaga has built his reputation on getting teams to the top flight. Tonota now expect him to do more than that. The club has rewarded the promotion with a three-year contract extension, effectively shifting the coach from promotion specialist to title contender. That is a significant change in the nature of the job. Promotion demands organisation, discipline, and consistency. Challenging for the Premiership title requires those qualities against better opposition, over a longer campaign, whilst coping with greater pressure and expectation.
Tonota have therefore not simply promoted a coach. They have promoted his responsibility. The man who knows how to take teams to the Premier League must now demonstrate that he can make one competitive in it. And the club has given him the tools.
Tonota FC have been aggressive in the transfer market, moving for players with international and Premiership experience rather than assembling a squad merely designed to survive.
Zebras midfielder, Mothusi Cooper, has returned from Morocco’s Olympique Khouribga, whilst forward Thero ‘Mahachi’ Setsile has joined following his spell in Libya. Kenyan international, Duncan Otieno, has also arrived and was handed the captaincy during pre-season. The domestic recruitment has been similarly purposeful, with Philip Kaku joining from Township Rollers, whilst Namibian defender Rueben Steve and Congolese forward Emmanuel Timu add experience and quality.
The club has also retained important members of the promotion-winning group, turning the team into a sensible, balanced squad. Tonota are not throwing away the machine that earned promotion.
They are adding horsepower to it. The transfer activity has also sent a clear message to the rest of the league as they intend to compete. The sporting push has been accompanied by a significant commercial transformation. HSNV Group acquired Tonota FC in 2024, bringing corporate resources and a broader development vision to the club. That investment is now visible in the team’s football operations and commercial profile.
Old Mutual has committed P2.5 million over three seasons, while Bet267 will contribute P400,000 per season for two seasons.
The deals therefore represent approximately P1.23 million in sponsorship value per season when both run concurrently, and P3.3 million across their respective contract periods. For a newly promoted side, it is substantial backing, but the significance goes beyond the figures. Tonota FC are beginning to operate with the infrastructure and commercial thinking of an established top-flight club.
All the sponsorships and recruitment announcements, however, remain secondary to what happens in the 90 minutes. Tonota FC has, however, provided their first encouraging response at the Tati River Cup. They beat Rollers 2-1 before overcoming Nkana by the same scoreline in the final. Against the Zambian giants, Tonota fell behind before Arnold Mampori equalised in first-half stoppage time.
Timu then headed them in front, with the defence holding firm to secure the trophy. It was only pre-season, and it would be casual to treat the tournament as evidence that the team is ready to win the FNB Premiership.
But the performances offered an early glimpse of what the club hopes to become. They showed resilience after conceding, enough quality to punish opponents and composure to manage a difficult finish.
Tonota FC have arrived in the FNB Premiership with a promotion-winning coach at the helm, a squad assembled to compete and significant financial backing behind their ambitions. Now, the football will determine whether the Orange Machine is ready to challenge local football’s established elite, writes MmegiSport Correspondent, KABELO BORANABI