The borderless challenge of running a club

Clubs have resisted calls to reduce the Premier League from 16 to 12 teams. However, recent developments have seen two teams facing an uncertain future, which could leave the assembly with 14 sides for the time being. VTM and Masitaoka are amongst the clubs that are finding it unsustainable to stay in the top division, as the high costs of running a football side take their toll. Critics were quick to point to the upheavals in the local game’s leadership, arguing the sport is generally poorly managed, and it did not pay dividends to run a club.

The Premier League has been without a title sponsor since 2020 but the winds of change are blowing after the First National Bank Botswana (FNBB) announced a P28.5 million rescue package for the domestic league over the next three seasons. FNBB CEO, Steven Bogatsu, effectively passed a vote of confidence on local football despite the recent turmoil, with the commercial bank pouring millions into the beleaguered game. Bogatsu argues, the challenges that face the local game are not peculiar to Botswana but affect most nations that are involved in football. There has been thinning confidence in local football due to the unending boardroom fights centred on the control of the BFL.