Early struggles expose divide

Friday, February 06, 2026 | 30 Views |

Heavy defeat: Gantsi Swallows were beaten 42-0 by GU PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG

The inaugural Botswana Women’s First Division League has barely found its rhythm, yet early signs suggest teams from marginalised regions are fighting for survival in the first ever elite women’s national football competition.

Introduced this year as the highest tier in the women’s football structures, the new league features 10 teams each from the Northern and Southern streams. Despite its elite status, the competition remains without a sponsor, with clubs instead receiving P100,000 participation grants.

Two teams will be relegated from each stream at the end of every season, a system now threatening to push struggling regional sides out of top-flight football almost as soon as the league has begun.

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