17 Nov 2025

The blockbuster FNB Preniership encounter between Gaborone United and Mochudi Centre Chiefs, which ended in a goalless draw on Friday night has concluded, but the decision to host such a ‘category A’ clash at Gaborone United Stadium continues to be the talking point among many football fans.

A match between Botswana Premier League leaders Moyagoleele and perennial crowd-pullers Magosi, is always bound to draw massive spectatorship and demands careful preparation.

Given the Friday night turnout of Chiefs supporters, who reliably flock to support their team, and GU’s impressive 10-game unbeaten run, a large crowd was inevitably expected at the stadium for the fixture. All signs therefore indicated that GU Stadium was not a suitable venue for such an event.

It is worth noting that the Gaborone United Sadium is certified for a capacity of less than 5,000 spectators, with the majority of stands made from construction scaffolding, except for the eastern stand.

With the National Stadium unavailable due to renovations, only Lobatse Sports Complex, Obed Itani Chilume Stadium, or Royal Aria Stadium could accommodate high-profile category A matches like the Chiefs and GU game. Some spectators at the game criticised the host venue during the post-match interview.

“It was a bad advert for local football, it was just too overcrowded and cramped up, clearly spectator safety was not considered when settling for the venue,” said Mothusi Dikgang.

Dikgang said spectators did not receive full value for their money, as overcrowding resulted in obstructed views. He decried that both the Premier League and the host team failed to prioritise supporters’ safety and should have agreed to move the game to a much larger stadium.

Another attendee, Bernard Seleke, called the situation a ticking time bomb ready to explode.

“A lot of spectators had to take drastic measures and put their lives in danger and watch from the roof of the dressing rooms, which was unsafe to do,” he said.

Another spectator, Kitso Molefe stated that GU, as host, had the right to use its home ground and to regulate ticket sales in accordance with the stadium’s capacity.

Molefe was of the view that it was not economically viable for GU to incur costs, such as stadium fees, elsewhere while it owns a stadium. Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Premier League were unsuccessful. ENDS