23 May 2024

The Botswana Premier League title race comes down to the final day with only three points separating the top three teams with a game to go. 

The Botswana premiership has never been down to the wire in recent years.

And it will be interesting to see who between Jwaneng Galaxy, Township Rollers and Gaborone United (GU) will be crowned league champion on Saturday. 

Galaxy still hold the lead with 62 points, followed by Rollers with 61 and GU at position three with 60 points. 

Lesagaripa, as Galaxy are fondly known, had a chance to wrap up the league on Wednesday when they faced title rivals, GU aka Moyagoleele in Lobatse and the goalless stalemate ensured mouthwatering last games and brought Rollers into the three-horse race. 

This weekend, Galaxy welcome fellow mining town side, Orapa United at the Galaxy Stadium in Jwaneng, while Rollers visits TAFIC in Francistown. GU will be visitors to the already relegated Holy Ghost in Lobatse.

In an interview after their 4-1 victory against BDF XI on Wednesday, Rollers assistant coach, Oarabile Seabo indicated that he was still hopeful of the league title. 

“A few weeks back, we were trailing Galaxy by about 10 points and we managed to close the gap to a point, so what can make it impossible to close that one-point gap in the final game,” he asked rhetorically. Seabo said he was hopeful that his charges would show the courageous character they displayed against BDF XI when they play against TAFIC. 

“To come from a goal down and win 4-1 against a team of BDF XI’s calibre shows character, especially looking at the tough season of injuries we had. 

This is the same spirit that we hope to carry into our last game and hope that what is not in our hands also goes in our favour,” he said, in reference to the other games that will be played by their rivals. 

For his part, GU communications and marketing manager, Herbert Letsebe indicated that they would go into their game against Holy Ghost with all they could.

Letsebe said they would also go into the game well aware that their fate might not be in their hands, but said they would focus their 90 minutes into the game against Holy Ghost and not in other games.

On the possibility of Holy Ghost being spoilers because they have nothing to play for and therefore have no pressure, Letsebe said it could also mean the opposite.

 “The very same fact that they have nothing to play for might also lead to them having no motive to win, therefore they might not put up a fight. 

Nonetheless, we will go into the game with all we can no matter how they approach it,” he said.

Jwaneng Galaxy spokesperson, Tankiso Morake also indicated that they would approach tomorrow’s game with the seriousness it deserved.

“Orapa United has proved to be a tough team everytime we played them, and we do not expect anything less this Saturday. We are however, resolute in our desire of winning the league back-to-back,” he said.

Morake indicated that they were so confident in achieving the feat that preparations to print the traditional celebratory t-shirts were on.

On rumours that Orapa United might ‘pass’ the game to Galaxy looking at their relations, Morake dismissed that as just unfounded fears.

“We are used to those unfounded fears and we are expecting a fight from Orapa United, and we are confident however that come Saturday evening, the trophy will have remained here,” he said.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, there is nothing much to play for as all the bottom three teams in Police XI, Holy Ghost and Eleven Angels have been relegated. 

The trio will come into this weekend to just bid the elite league farewell. ENDS