27 Apr 2017

After three years languishing and struggling in the Debswana First Division North, Tafic Football Club finally succeeded this past weekend after beating Sua Flamingoes 2-1 in Sowa Town and ended this season’s campaign with 49 points on top of the First Division North league.
Matjimenyenga, as the team is affectionately known by its legion of fans had been a household name in local football for decades prior to being relegated to the first division north from the top flight league in April 2014 in a heart breaking last match that saw them losing 3-1 to Township Rollers.
They were under the tutelage of Darlington Dodo at the time of their relegation to the first division. Trying hard during both the 2014/2015 and 2015/16 season, they failed to rise back to the top but instead watched with envy as both Green Lovers and Sankoyo Bush Bucks made it to the top the past two seasons.

The dream by its management then, in the likes of Atshele Molapi, Wrist Mmusi to return Francistown’s beloved team never died despite challenges of finances and sponsors. Fast forward to the 2016/17 under the leadership of its chairperson, Thomas Maika, his vice Bushy Moswate and the likes of Carlos Motaung, Kolola Warrant, Masego Ogolotse and nominated councillor, Peter Ngoma, the team finally achieved automatic promotion to the BTC Premiership.
In an interview, Motaung, who is the team technical manager, noted that their successful campaign for the top league promotion was due to early preparations and good management by the team’s leaders.

“As soon as we received communication on the commencement of the 2016/17 league, which was October, we took a decision to assemble the squad as early as June to get the team ready for a fight to the top,” said Motaung.
Furthermore, he highlighted that they were engaged in a couple of tournaments across the country to prepare for the new season. Tafic played in Selebi Phikwe with reputable clubs like Orapa United fielding their A team and came on top with a solitary goal.
Motaung also noted that they also took time scouting for new players who could help the club achieve its objectives this season which was to get promotion to the top league.
Tafic, he stated, started originally on the First Division North 2016/17 campaign with their current coach, Elias Chinyembe.

Motaung credited Chinyembe as the one who picked their current squad working alongside some of the club legends such as Pogiso ‘Wrist’ Mmusi and Mmoloki ‘Besto Bell’ Sechele among others.
After this, Blessing Moyo, who they parted ways with on March 8, this year joined the team and started work last year on September 1, almost five days before the transfer window closed.
“Though, we had to part ways with Moyo, we as the leadership of the team are highly grateful to Moyo for the job he did drilling and coaching the boys. Blessing is undoubtedly a talented and skilled coach and we learned a lot from him,” Motaung argued.
Consequently, he noted that the rise to the top required a new strategy.

In the past two seasons, he stated that the then executive committees worked hard to ensure the team was financially stable but it was not easy as financiers and sponsors would not come around.
The strategy to privatise the team failed as supporters were against the move stating that Tafic was a community club and could never be owned by any individuals.
Instead, he explained that supporters called for the club to be handed back to them instead and this strategy started producing good results.
Following this, he said that supporters returned back to the team in large numbers and attended games filling up every venue that the team played at including far away games.
“For many years, we didn’t see this strategy when it stared us in the face. Give the people the team and see good results.

With supporters leading the team, we wrote a new constitution which called for a new committee and we agreed to host the annual general meetings to account to our supporters on how the team was progressing, he noted.
Motaung explained that the people assured the team management of everything they needed if they showed determination to take the team back to the premiership.
As good results came, Motaung revealed that the team found some financiers who preferred to remain anonymous until the team got promoted and they helped improve the team’s coffers.
The team then started making some killings through gate-takings at every match and their merchandise sold like hot cakes and helped them realise massive profits despite not engaging a technical sponsor.
With funds flowing into the Tafic coffers, the days when the players got their monthly allowances late ended and players’ welfare was given top priority.

“The days of team leaders going around with a begging bowl for funds after every training session came to an end. Tafic was now financially stable and players played their hearts-out because they were being taken care of. We have a bill of up to P70 000 every month and I’m hopeful it will rise to more than P160 000 in the premiership next season,” he also highlighted.
The technical manager also asserted that they spent at least more than P20 000 for every away game. For example, he said that they spent P25 000 away to Chobe United in Kasane.
All this, he added, has been possible because of the support of Tafic’s die-hard supporters coming to games, donating, pledging and buying merchandise.
On whether the team would buy new players in preparation for the BTC Premiership, Motaung stated that supporters needed to be rest assured that they would not be parting ways with the players who helped take the team to the super league.
“We will get a few new players but we are also mindful that this current crop of players have to be rewarded for their loyalty. If every team that gets promoted to the top league disposes off the players that took them to the top league, what message are we sending to such players,” he asked rhetorically.

He said they are taking the whole squad to the premiership.
This sentiment was also echoed by the club’s head coach, Chinyembe after their last game in Sowa, as he stated that only a few changes would be made to strengthen the current squad.
Motaung urged the team supporters to register for membership saying ‘though the City of Francistown is painted red with the Tafic jerseys, it does not reflect on the club membership list.’
A very strong membership registration will help the team to attract sponsorship which they need to compete in the top league.

The Francistown leadership also had a great impact on Tafic’s success to the premier league through urging the public to support the team during Kgotla meetings and very important gatherings.
The mayor of Francistown, Sylvia Muzila, Members of Parliament, councillors and Dikgosi have also been credited with the team’s success as they once called a meeting of the three well known Francistown teams such as Tafic, Ecco City Greens and Tasc and gave them support in their quest for promotion to the elite league.

The mayor had informed the teams that the pride of Francistown depended on having a team competing with the country’s best. With the opening of the Francistown Sports Complex, teams were called on to show character by returning to the premiership which resulted in Tafic’s Operation ‘Gwilila’ which was conceived to fight for promotion.
Phuthego Modipe, a veteran Tafic player who played alongside the likes of Mlungisi Kopi, Bakang Meno and the late Chrispen Nyamutamba and has since retired could not hide his excitement over Tafic’s promotion to the premiership.
“I re-joined Tafic from a two year retirement back in 2014 from Kalamare Main Machine Soccer Club and found Tafic in the relegation zone pegged at number three from the bottom and we took it to number three on top but did not achieve promotion.
However, he explained that he was grateful for the success of Tafic this year.
He mentioned that he had visited the team in training and learnt first-hand from the players about the good treatment they received from the team management and how they were paid on time and well. ENDS