26 May 2019

BTC Premiership 2018/19 season came to an end at the weekend with pomp and ceremony as Township Rollers were handed a new league championship trophy plus P1.3 million after their goalless encounter with Police XI at the National Stadium on Saturday.

For a third season in a row, same sides finished in the same order as the top three in the elite league; Rollers first, Jwaneng Galaxy and Orapa United third.

Rollers amassed 68 points, while Galaxy finished just two points adrift and improved by registering four more points than the previous season; a tally of 66 points, which were sufficient to win the past two league titles for Rollers.

Having twice tasted Mascom Top 8 glory in the past three years, Galaxy will now want move the next step into the league winner’s podium next term after three seasons as premier league runners up.

Rollers entered Saturday’s game having recently secured a fourth successive title and an an overall 16^th national championship by defeating Miscellaneous two weeks ago in a match that sparked a protest from Galaxy for the game having been rescheduled. Miscellaneous had not turned up for the game against Rollers two months earlier, citing that they had initially been meant to play a home game against Notwane, but instead fixtures had changed at short notice, creating the logistical nightmare of a third consecutive away match for the Serowe side.

With some premier league sides publicly displaying empathy towards Miscellaneous at a time, Botswana Premier League CEO, Thabo Ntshinogang threatened stern action against Tse Nala for not honouring the match, the matter was sent to Botswana Football Association (BFA) whose verdict was that indeed there had been a problem with fixture allocation, ordering that the match be replayed.

Rollers won the rescheduled match 1-0. Had Miscellaneous been taken to task for not honouring the fixture and docked three points and two goals as per the BFA Play Rules and Regulations, the soft points would not have been enough to win Popa the league as a title deciding playoff with second placed Galaxy would have been necessary- hence the interest of the Jwaneng side in the matter.

But notwithstanding administrative hiccups from authorities, Rollers earned the crown on merit as the best performers on the pitch having won the most games, losing just twice, scoring the most goals and conceding the least; to end with the league’s best goal average of 46.

The match against Police on Saturday was very little to write home about; a mundane performance by two teams entering the pitch guaranteed of a top four finish.

Although Police had a mathematical chance of leapfrogging Orapa United into third position with a win, they seemed as disinterested as Popa in dull match of little chances.

The excitement only occurred in the 25^th minute when Police conceded a penalty kick that their goalkeeper Lesego Bosekeng saved a minute later as Joel Mogorosi spurned the spotkick.

In the 75^th minute Rollers substitute, veteran former Zebras star, Tshepo Motlhabankwe came on to loud cheers for possibly his final official match; a day after announcing that he is retiring from active football.

A top four finish in a season they also made it to the Orange FA Cup semi-finals was good effort for Mike ‘Dubula’ Sithole’s Police side.

In other games played at the weekend, Prisons XI defeated Sharps Shooting Stars 1-0 to secure their survival, as Sankoyo Bush Bucks were relegated, joining Black Forest and Mochudi Centre Chiefs who entered the weekend already guaranteed of heading to the First Division next season.

Sankoyo overcame Extension Gunners 2-0 to deny the Lobatse giants a top 8 finish, but the Prisons win meant the Maun outfit got relegated despite their weekend triumph.

Though Thero Setsile was not among the goals as Galaxy got a 3-0 win over BR Highlanders, he ended the season as top goal scorer; an impressive 18 goals.

Gaborone United overcame Mochudi Centre Chiefs 1-0 at the National Stadium on Friday as Magosi, one of the premier league standout clubs of the past decade and a half bid farewell to top flight football.

Orapa United handed Black Forest a 4-0 defeat as the Mankgodi side also bowed out of the elite league.

Miscellaneous beat Notwane 3-2 but that was not sufficient to take Tse Nala into the top 8; they finished ninth, equal on points with eighth placed Sharps Shooting Stars who have a superior goal difference.

Meanwhile, the Orange FA Cup final between Rollers and Orapa scheduled for June 15 in Francistown will draw the curtain on domestic club football action as attention now turns to the national team Zebras contest at the COSAFA Cup in South Africa from the coming weekend. ENDS