The local league has forever faced external pressure from established leagues in South Africa and Europe.
This has seen fans at stadiums dwindle as some prefer to watch their favourite foreign teams. The situation was further exacerbated by internal squabbles within the local game which proved a big turn-off for the fans. But after a barren few seasons without a sponsor, the local league has come to life largely thanks to FNB Botswana's sponsorship. The crowds have flocked back to the stadiums despite counter-attractions from the established foreign leagues.
Township Rollers, Mochudi Centre Chiefs, Extension Gunners, TAFIC and Gaborone United are traditional crowd pullers and fans have responded and behaved well this season. Teams like Nico United, Sua Flamingoes, Morupule Wanderers and Jwaneng Galaxy attracted a sizeable crowd to their home matches. In fact most teams record decent crowds, which is an improvement from previous seasons. Fans are a critical component and drive the players to perform better. The Premier League's rallying call has always been to have more bodies on the stadium seats. The situation is not yet at the pinnacle, but surely the signs are encouraging. Extension Gunners and Mochudi Centre Chiefs fans singing their lungs out at the Lobatse Stadium over the weekend reminded fans of the good old days. The Premier League no longer relies on the Gaborone United vs Township Rollers derby to pull the crowds.
For now, there are many other alternative fixtures that can be utilised as the headline fixture. TAFIC is there doing well, which means there is a lot of interest from Francistown and surrounding areas. The unpredictability of the league gives it an extra edge in terms of excitement. Who would have bet on TAFIC leading the log at the half-way stage of the season? The bottom looks all too familiar with the usual suspects, Uniao Flamengo Santos and Chadibe FC who look destined for a quick return to their First Division bases. Added excitement has also come through investments at Chiefs and Gunners with South African business owners taking over the popular but financially unstable sides. Barring any Munhumutapa moment, the cash injection should ensure Gunners and Chiefs are well equipped to compete in the transfer market, which will further enhance the value of the local league and improve competition.
The fact that most of the investment is coming from outside is a debate for another day, but even English Premier League sides are owned by mostly Saudis and Americans. Whether it is a good model for Botswana or it will represent challenges remains to be seen, but the more clubs embrace investors through privatisation, the better for football. Most community teams are struggling and without proper investment, some are on the death bed. While the future looks bright, there are still lingering issues that could be done away with. One recent contentious issues was the use of the Francistown Council Stadium.
There are question marks over its homologation and concerns are genuine particularly when its clear that the facility needs thorough rehabilitation. Lastly I am not too sure about the reverse fixtures taking place back-to-back. Now Gunners and Chiefs will meet immediately after their much- anticipated clash. Won't having them play so soon water down the excitement? May be Bennett Mamelodi and crew have a good reason for the fixture arrangement.