Mascom Charity Cup marred by low attendance

Orapa United were crowned champions of the tournament after defeating Security Systems by a solitary goal in the final. The stadium has over the years earned a reputation for attracting many spectators. But on Saturday all the three charity cup matches (two semifinals and the final) attracted a paltry crowd. While there were no official figures of attendance disclosed, a hypothetical analysis showed that the attendance was very low compared to previous bigger football matches staged at the stadium.

There were many empty seats around the facility. It was not clear why the fans stayed away from the one-day tournament, but some speculated that the absence of the country’s most supported club, Township Rollers might have been one of the contributing factors to the low turnout. Rollers did not secure enough votes to be part of the tournament, something that came as a shock to many pundits. Gaborone United, one of the country’s most supported teams were eliminated in the semifinal, which aggravated the situation. Many had assumed that if Moyagoleele made it to the final more supporters would turn up. The Ostriches and Systems do not enjoy massive support in local football.