Black Lions have taken the place of VTM after a status swap between the two and will compete in the top tier when the new season kicks-off on Friday. The launch venue was predominantly a sea of black as the club paraded its technical team and players. South African coach, Owen Da Gama will lead the team in its debut campaign. Black Lions is owned by Sebata Holdings, a company that previously held equity in Township Rollers before an acrimonious split. Sebata Holdings director, Tendani Sebata said they are in the Premiership to compete and crucially, contribute to Botswana's talent pool.
"In June, I took the first step to register Black Lions to compete in Division Two. I had not just a vision to start a club but wanted to build a meaningful and lasting vision," he said. We want to tap into every corner of Botswana for hidden talent. We want to give the Botswana child a chance to showcase their talent. We intend to be the benchmark of professionalism," Sebata added. He said the status swap was not easy, but he thanked VTM owner, Vincent Mafuta as "through brotherhood and football commitment" the deal was made possible. Mafuta said VTM was still alive and they made a conscious decision to swap their status with Black Lions. "It was after looking at our vision that we did not want to be in the highest competition just for three points. As a country, we have a lot to do to build a product," he said.
