29 Jul 2025

New entrants to the premier league, Calendar Stars FC is charging ahead with preparations for its maiden season in the FNB Premiership.

Despite outstanding challenges such as a lack of sponsorship, the team is optimistic that it will quickly find its feet in the elite league and will perform well enough to not relegate to a lower division at the end of the season.

In an interview on Monday, Calendar Stars FC general manager Lucky Tlanggae shared some thoughts on how the team was getting ready. He mentioned that while preparations were underway, more still needed to be done in order to improve the team’s readiness.

“We have brought in some quality players who will join us soon, and we are still on the lookout for more competitive talent to boost our squad,” he said.

About securing the sponsorship, Tlanggae pointed out that they had not landed a big sponsor yet. 

However, he did express appreciation for the owner of City Active Gym, who had been kind enough to offer gym facilities to help the team.

He, however, appealed to the Francistown community to step up and help find a substantial sponsor for the team so that it could represent the northern region well. 

Meanwhile, Calendar Stars coach Joseph Mokgacha, despite acknowledging that the team was new campaigners in the FNB premiership and lacks experience, expressed confidence in the players’ readiness to fully deploy their abilities.

Mokgacha said he anticipated a challenging opening match against Gaborone United, who were the reigning champions.

“It is going to be tough, they are the big boys of Botswana Football. Our players understand the challenge ahead. 

Nonetheless, we are preparing well for the encounter and the season ahead”, he stated.Mokgacha also emphasised the importance of building mental resilience and addressing various aspects of player development to navigate the league successfully and avoid relegation.

“Despite being newcomers, we are focused on formulating a solid game plan for our first match against the champions,” he added.

Calendar Stars FC earned their spot in the premiership by beating Jwaneng Young Stars in the promotional playoffs after finishing second in the First Division North. ENDS