League in desperate need of a headline fixture
Mqondisi Dube | Friday September 21, 2018 13:25
In the BPL’s modern era, the 2009 league decider between Gaborone United (GU) and Mochudi Centre Chiefs, arguably stands out as the match of the last decade.
Played in a venue that holds just above 8,500 fans, the colossal game exuded class and quality, on and off the pitch.
The Molepolole Sports Complex was immaculately draped in the green colours of the sponsor, beMOBILE then, and by midday thousands of soccer fans drove into the Bakwena capital, with kick-off still hours away.
The two teams, then neck-and-neck for the title and only separated by one point, responded with some stupendous football, occasionally garnished with grit and tact.
Bosarutweng ‘Booster’ Magola was determination-personified as Mike “Dubula Dubula” Sithole’s GU side went toe-to-toe with a star-studded Chiefs, and emerged 1-0 victors, taking away the league trophy, in the process, becoming the first side to pocket what was then, a cool P1million.
That game had set lofty standards, which have however, proved difficult to replicate. Both sides have been replaced by Township Rollers at the top table, but Mapalastina have no genuine sparring partners.
While the 2009 triumph proved to be the last for GU, Chiefs stepped up and together with Rollers, formed the league’s most potent fixture.
Since 2009, no other side, other than Rollers and Chiefs, has laid its hand on the league trophy.
The Rollers and Chiefs encounters over the last decade assumed the ‘fixture of the season’ title. And the encounters always lived up to pre-match billing, never short of thrills and spills.
GU was not far behind, and provided memorable moments, particularly in the clashes of Gaborone’s oldest derby, against Rollers.
Few will forget the 2014 Mascom Top 8 final that GU won 2-1. Effectively the league, did not solely rely on two teams to produce the ‘wow’ fixture. In most leagues, fans are spoilt for choice as there is more than one fixture that catches the eye.
In South Africa, clashes amongst either of Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates always have fans on the edge of their seats.
In England, due to the fierce nature of the competition, countless fixtures have emerged, which belong to the ‘must watch’ category.
The emergence of teams like Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea, to join the traditional dominant forces, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, have added further excitement to what is considered as the world’s most intriguing league.
The result of increased high profile fixtures has seen fans stream to stadiums and record sponsorship deals signed, including the pivotal broadcasting rights deal. The overall quality of the product is enhanced, while the BPL has suffered a dip in quality due to the absence of top drawer, crowd pulling fixtures.
BPL chief executive officer, Thabo ‘Styles’ Ntshinogang has admitted in the past that attendance figures have been depressed for a couple of seasons.
Partly, this can be pointed to the absence of a perfect bête noire for Rollers. No fixture is capable of attracting a capacity crowd to the three main facilities: the National Stadium, the Francistown Sports Complex and the Lobatse Sports Complex at the moment.
In fact, teams struggle to fill even the Molepolole Sports Complex. The BPL is battling for a selling point, and with both GU and Chiefs drowning in boardroom squabbles, no team has sufficiently raised its hand to plug the yawning gap.
Diamond miners, Orapa United and Jwaneng Galaxy have tried but stuttered in their attempt to replace both GU and Chiefs, in forming a lethal fixture with Rollers.
The numbers of the terraces have not offered much courage as the two sides do not command a large following.
Extension Gunners could be the perfect foil, but, like GU and Chiefs, are too engrossed with off the field shenanigans, to put up a squad capable of competing.
Fans will hope for a vertiginous shift of trajectory but a quick gaze at the far end, will reveal that there is no immediate reprieve.
But Ntshinogang shares a different view, and believes the league still has its main attractions intact.
“I think, despite GU and Chiefs’ internal wrangling, some expected top of the drawer games have happened. A typical example is last season’s fixture between GU and Rollers at the UB Stadium. Supporters from both clubs, including from other clubs, thronged the UB Stadium to witness the Gaborone derby. The players did not disappoint as well.
“Similar kind of turnout was experienced when Chiefs played Rollers. The Gunners, Rollers fixture always drive supporters into a frenzy, as well. I have noticed some good rivalry developing Rollers and Galaxy. In a nutshell, we still have those fixtures that set the tongues wagging. But I agree that if it comes to a point where we don’t have exciting fixtures in our league, it will be sad and hard to sell the product,” Ntshinogang said.