End of season battles: Tense, but Fun

Thuso Palai | Thursday April 17, 2014 16:04

This is a time when all referee’s decisions will be scrutinised and all other decisions will be scrutinized. This is the period when all sorts of accusations will fly around. This is the time when all the mind games will come into play. This is the time when emotions run helter skelter.  All this, is what makes football what it is; Tense but Fun.

All over the world, it is nail biting time. In most leagues, with a few exceptions, all Championships will go down to the wire. The Botswana, South African, English and Spanish Leagues will go down to the wire, and as it is, we are in a for a roller coaster ride. At the top and at the bottom, it is quite tense.  The beMobile Premier League and Debswana First Division Leagues are going to the wire. The Premier League has one already confirmed victim in Tafic Football Club. The Francistown side bit the dust last weekend and a dark cloud descended on Francistown. For most of the season, Tafic flirted with the drop. Their off field problems affected their on-field performances and their relegation came as no surprise. As things stand, it is touch and go as to who will join them. It is still tense, and anyone of Miscellaneous, UF Santos, Notwane, BMC, Orapa United and Ecco City Greens could face the chop. Two of them will join Tafic in the First Division and it will be heartbreak for whoever goes. The relegation scrap will come with excitement for the neutrals.

At the top, it is all so tight. Township Rollers are just ahead, but BDF X1, Gaborone United and Centre Chiefs are breathing heavily on their necks. Anyone of the four teams could win it and at this stage anything is possible.

The most interesting end of season games, and what most people are talking about is the First Division North and South Leagues. Whatever happens, history will be made. We might just have for the first time, in my lifetime, a team from Maun, Sankoyo Bush Bucks,  in the Premier League. This all depends on their last game and as things stand, they already have one and half feet in the Premier League. Only a collapse in the last game will see them not coming up to the elite League. The Maun side came out of nowhere and has surprised many. BR Highlanders are only hoping for a miracle to get automatic promotion.

In the South, it could not have been closer. Letlapeng, Rolling Boys and Black Forest are still in with a chance. History will be made as one or even two of them will make it to the elite League. Whatever happens, I will shed a tear for whomever among the three misses out. They could not have come closer. For a long time Letlapeng has been there and thereabouts without that final push. Could this be their year or they could let it slip again? At the bottom, it is rather tense as well. Yesteryear giants in Mochudi Buffaloes and Black Peril could bite the dust and go to the lower Leagues.  

Whatever happens, it will be tense. Top to bottom, it’s going to be tense. Some teams are fighting for the Championships, some playing for the top eight positions and some fighting for survival. At the end of the day there will be tears of joy and tears of sorrow. And like one international soccer legend said to me just last week, if you are at the top, you have to be modest about your chances and be cautiously confident, and if you are at the bottom, you have to try as hard as possible and throw the kitchen sink.  It’s going to be a roller coaster ride. It’s going to be Fun, but Tense.