17 Aug 2026

The FNB Premier League may be on a break, with transfer speculation dominating the local football scene as teams strengthen their squads ahead of the upcoming season, but the off-season has also been characterised by a barrage of pre-season tournaments.

Mochudi Centre Chiefs continued their rich vein of pre-season form after being crowned champions of the Sunbet Charity Cup following a dominant 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Gaborone United on Saturday, further cementing their position as the most dominant team since the resumption of pre-season activities.

The victory handed Chiefs their second successive win over Gaborone United, following a 3-1 triumph over Moyagoleele in the Jwaneng Mine General Manager’s Cup a fortnight ago.

With bruised egos following their defeat to Chiefs in the Jwaneng Mine General Manager’s Cup, GU were hoping to redeem themselves in the Sunbet Charity Cup. The Reds fielded a line-up packed with Premier League-winning pedigree, including Lebogang Ditsele, Karabo Phiri and Thatayaone Kgamanyane.

Although it is still pre-season, the star-studded GU line-up appears to be struggling to meet expectations and has yet to stamp its authority on the pre-season campaign, despite retaining several key players from last season’s championship-winning squad.

The Reds are racing against time to find their winning combinations and regain their momentum ahead of their CAF Champions League preliminary-round encounter against Tanzanian giants Young Africans on the weekend of September 4-6, 2026.

They have also been active in the transfer market, with the latest acquisitions including Namibian midfielder Paulus Amutenya and Benson Mangolo.

Chiefs, on the other hand, have been in high spirits during the pre-season, using the break to bolster their squad depth with the likes of Mosha Gaolaolwe, Kelvin Ndebele, Phenyo Serameng and the blockbuster signing of Mpho Kgaswane.

With plenty of talent at his disposal, Chiefs head coach Miguel Torreira has been using the pre-season to work on combinations and tactical cohesion, with the team also having spent part of its preparations at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria, South Africa.

To his credit, Torreira has overseen an impressive pre-season campaign, with Chiefs claiming victories in all the tournaments they have participated in so far. ENDS