Botswana Premier League

The Botswana Premier League, currently known as the BTC Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the highest level football league in Botswana. Organised by the Botswana Football Association, the league was formed in 1978 to replace the pre-independence Bechuanaland Union African Soccer League, which was regional.[1] Participants in the first edition of the league included Tlokweng Pirates, Notwane, Black Peril, Queens Park Rangers and a team from Ngwaketse district.[1]

Botswana Premier League
Founded1966
CountryBotswana
ConfederationCAF
Number of teams16
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toBotswana First Division North
and Botswana First Division South
Domestic cup(s)FA Challenge Cup
Orange Kabelano Charity Cup
Mascom Top 8 Cup
International cup(s)Champions League
Confederation Cup
Current championsTownship Rollers
(2018–19)
Most championshipsTownship Rollers (16 titles)
2018–19 Botswana Premier League

The league has always been dominated by the teams that are based south of Dibete or at the southern part of the country until the 2006–07 season when Ecco City Greens made history by becoming the first team from the north to lift the lucrative competition. The league is sponsored by a mobile phone operator Be Mobile to the tune of 30 million pula. After the ABSA premiership in South Africa, the Be Mobile league is the second highest sponsored league in the COSAFA region. The league has continued to grow in leaps and bounds as shown by the increasing number of foreign players in the BPL. Some top players from mainly Zimbabwe like Arnold Chaka, Master Masitara, Elvis Meleka, Mandla Sibanda, Sageby Sandaka and Tendai Ndoro have ditched the Zimbabwean PSL for the BPL in recent years. Recently Namibian stars like Jerome Luis and Benson Shilongo arrived in Botswana in search of the Pula. After terminating their television deal with a South African company RP Productions, the league is now negotiating a long term deal with Supersport International. In early 2013, the pay TV shown five BPL games on a testing basis.

Sponsorship

Since the 1980s the Botswana Premier League has been sponsored. The sponsors have been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. The list below details who the sponsors were and what they called the league:

  • 1991-2001:Castle Lager (Castle Super League)
  • 2002-05: St Louis (St Louis Premiership)
  • 2006-08: MASCOM (Mascom Premiership)
  • 2009-2013: be Mobile (be Mobile Premiership)
  • 2010-present: BTC (BTC Premiership)

Format

During the league, from August to May, each club plays each of the other teams twice; once at home and once away, totaling 30 games for each team by the end of the season. Therefore, in Botswana football a true round-robin format is used. In the first half of the season, each team plays once against each league opponent, for a total of 15 games. In the second half of the season, the teams play in exactly the same order that they did in the first half of the season, the only difference being that home and away situations are switched. Since the 1994–95 season, teams were awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Since Botswana is lowly ranked in the CAF rankings only one CAF Champions League spot is awarded to the league champions. The cup winners gain a spot in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Since the 2005–06 season if two or more teams end the league with the same number of points, the deciding tie-breakers used are (in order):

  1. Head-to-head records;
  2. Goal difference of head-to-head records;
  3. Goal difference of league;
  4. Most goals for in league;
  5. Draw

Broadcasting rights

In Botswana the Botswana Football Association is the one which negotiates the broadcasting rights with broadcasters. Starting from 2002–03 until 2012–13 the broadcasting rights were held by the state broadcaster Botswana Television (BTV) and its radio partner Radio Botswana (RB1). The state broadcaster was paying P5 million per season for the rights. Broadcasting of the games was irregular as the TV showed majority of games played in and around Gaborone citing poor quality stadiums in the north. Two weekend games are shown live on TV, with midweek games being delayed.

SuperSport deal

In 2013 there was major excitement when South African broadcasting giant entered the local market. The deal saw the state broadcaster temporarily losing the rights, as a few games were shown on pay-per-view. However it was short lived as SuperSport and the BFA parted their ways. Broadcasting resumed normally on BTV and RB1.

Hourlies

Since 1980 all BPL games have been played at the same times. On Saturday most are played 15:00 pm CAT on winter and 16:00 pm CAT in summer. Few games are played at night due to poor lighting in most stadiums. In Sunday all games are played at 15:00 pm CAT or 16:00 pm CAT depending on the season.

Most in midweek games are played at 19:00 pm CAT.

Current Clubs (2019-20)
Club City / Town Position in 2018-19
Botswana Defence Force XIGaborone5th
Botswana Railways HighlandersMahalapye11th
Extension GunnersLobatse10th
Gaborone UnitedGaborone6th
Gilport LionsLobatsePromoted
Jwaneng GalaxyJwaneng2nd
MiscellaneousSerowe9th
Morupule Wanderers FCPalapyePromoted
NotwaneGaborone12th
Orapa UnitedOrapa3rd
Police XIOtse4th
Prisons XIGaborone13th
Security SystemsOtse7th
Molepolole City Stars FCMolepolole 8th
TAFIC FCFrancistownPromoted
Township RollersGaborone1st

Champions

Previous champions are:[2]

Past seasons
Season Winner Runner-up Relegated at end of season Promoted at end of season
1978 Notwane
1979 Township Rollers
1980 Township Rollers
1981 BDF XI Extension Gunners
1982 Township Rollers
1983 Township Rollers
1984 Township Rollers
1985 Township Rollers
1986 Gaborone United
1987 Township Rollers
1988 BDF XI Extension Gunners Copper Chiefs
Kanye Swallows		 Tlokweng Pirates
Uniao Flamengo Santos
1989 BDF XI
1990 Gaborone United Mochudi Centre Chiefs Nico United
1991 BDF XI
1992 LCS Gunners TAFIC Jwaneng Comets Mogoditshane Fighters
1993 LCS Gunners Gaborone United Mogoditshane Fighters
Prisons XI		 Jwaneng Comets
1994 LCS Gunners Township Rollers Prisons XI
Wonder Sporting		 Mochudi Centre Chiefs
Jwaneng Comets
1995 Township Rollers
1996 Notwane PG Mochudi Centre Chiefs TASC
Boteti Young Fighters		 Mogoditshane Fighters
TAFIC
1997 BDF XI Gaborone United BMC
Nico United		 Mokgosi Young Fighters
TASC
1998 Notwane BDF XI TASC
Mokgosi Young Fighters		 Satmos
Jwaneng Comets
1998-99 Mogoditshane Fighters BDF XI No relegation
1999-00 Mogoditshane Fighters Mochudi Centre Chiefs Gaborone United
Prisons XI		 Botswana Meat Commission
TASC
2000-01 Mogoditshane Fighters BDF XI Botswana Meat Commission
Satmos
2001-02 BDF XI Mogoditshane Fighters Nico United
Township Rollers
2002-03 Mogoditshane Fighters Police XI
2003-04 BDF XI Police XI Wonder Sporting
Mochudi Center Chiefs		 Nico United
Gabane Santos
2004-05 Township Rollers Police XI Uniao Flamengo Santos
TAFIC
Orapa Wanderers		 Naughty Boys
2005-06 Police XI BDF XI Mogoditshane Fighters
Naughty Boys
Mosquito		 Jwaneng Comets
2006-07 ECCO City Greens Mochudi Centre Chiefs Prisons XI
Satmos
2007-08 Mochudi Centre Chiefs Gaborone United TASC
Jwaneng Comets
2008-09 Gaborone United Mochudi Centre Chiefs Mogoditshane Fighters
Great North Tigers
Naughty Boys		 Jwaneng Comets
Motlakase Power Dynamos
2009-10 Township Rollers Mochudi Centre Chiefs Killer Giants
Jwaneng Comets
Boteti Young Fighters		 TASC
2010-11 Township Rollers Mochudi Centre Chiefs TASC
Black Peril FC		 Mogoditshane Fighters
Satmos
2011-12 Mochudi Centre Chiefs Botswana Meat Commission Notwane F.C.
Great North Tigers
Satmos		 Motlakase
Prisons XI
BR Highlanders
2012-13 Mochudi Centre Chiefs Nico United Prisons XI
Mogoditshane Fighters
BR Highlanders
2013-14 Township Rollers BDF XI
2014-15 Mochudi Centre Chiefs Orapa United
2015-16 Township Rollers Mochudi Centre Chiefs Motlakase Power Dynamos
BR Highlanders
Satmos		 Black Forest
2016-17 Township Rollers Jwaneng Galaxy Nico United
Green Lovers
Mahalapye United Hotspurs
2017-18 Township Rollers Jwaneng Galaxy TAFIC
Uniao Flamengo Santos
Gilport Lions		 Notwane
BR Highlanders
Prisons XI
2018-19 Township Rollers Jwaneng Galaxy Mochudi Centre Chiefs
Black Forest
Sankoyo Bush Bucks		 Gilport Lions
Morupule Wanderers FC
TAFIC
2019-20 Jwaneng Galaxy Township Rollers TAFIC
Miscellaneous		 Masitaoka
Sua Flamingos

Manager records

League winning managers
Season Winner Manager
1979 Township Rollers Chibaso Kande
1980 Township Rollers Chibaso Kande
1982 Township Rollers Chibaso Kande
1983 Township Rollers Chibaso Kande
1984 Township Rollers Chibaso Kande
1985 Township Rollers Chibaso Kande
1986 Gaborone United Thomas Johnson
1987 Township Rollers Ezekiel Mpofu
1990 Gaborone United Arthur James
1999 Mogoditshane Fighters David Bright
1999-00 Mogoditshane Fighters David Bright
2000-01 Mogoditshane Fighters David Bright
2005-06 Police XI Sthandwa Mogwadi
2007-08 Mochudi Centre Chiefs Beston Chambeshi
2008-09 Gaborone United Mike Sithole
2009-10 Township Rollers Rahman Gumbo
2010-11 Township Rollers Wesley Mondo
2011-12 Mochudi Centre Chiefs Madinda Ndlovu
2012-13 Mochudi Centre Chiefs Madinda Ndlovu
2013-14 Township Rollers Madinda Ndlovu
2015-16 Township Rollers Mark Harrison
2016-17 Township Rollers Mogomotsi Mpote
2017-18 Township Rollers Nikola Kavazovic
2018-19 Township Rollers Rodolfo Zapata
2019-20 Jwaneng Galaxy Nikola Kavazovic

Coach of the Season
Season Winner Team
2007-08 Mike Sithole Gaborone United
2011-12 Daniel Nare BMC
2012-13 Madinda Ndlovu Mochudi Centre Chiefs
2015-16 Mark Harrison Township Rollers
2016-17 Mogomotsi Mpote Township Rollers
2017-18 Nikola Kavazovic Township Rollers
2018-19 Miguel da Costa Jwaneng Galaxy

Performance By Club
Club City Titles Last Title
Township RollersGaborone162018–19
Botswana Defence Force XIMogoditshane72003–04
Gaborone UnitedGaborone62008–09
Mogoditshane FightersMogoditshane42003
Mochudi Centre ChiefsMochudi42014–15
Extension GunnersLobatse31994
NotwaneGaborone31998
ECCO City GreensFrancistown12006–07
Police XIOtse12005–06

Topscorers
Year Best scorers Team Goals
2005–06 Malepa BolelangECCO City Greens24
2006–07 Pontsho MoloiMochudi Centre Chiefs22
2007–08 Master Masitara
Jerome Ramatlhakwane		Nico United
Mochudi Centre Chiefs		18
2008–09 Master MasitaraNico United27
2009–10 Terrence MandazaTownship Rollers31
2011-12 Pontsho MoloiMochudi Centre Chiefs
2012-13 Pontsho MoloiMochudi Centre Chiefs
2013-14 Patrick KaundaFC Satmos20
2017-18 Thatayaone KgamanyaneGaborone United20
2018-19 Thero SetsileJwaneng Galaxy18

Player of the Season
Year Player of the Season Team
2005–06 Moemedi MoatlhapingTownship Rollers
2006–07 Malepa BolelangECCO City Greens
2007–08 Oteng MoalosiMochudi Centre Chiefs
2008–09 Joseph PhetogoGaborone United
2009–10 Kabelo DambeTownship Rollers
2013–14 Mwampule MasuleTownship Rollers
2014–15 Lesego GalenamotlhaleMochudi Centre Chiefs
2017-18 Edwin MoalosiTownship Rollers
2018-19 Thero SetsileJwaneng Galaxy
gollark: Property damage is mean, though.
gollark: Only cool™ ones.
gollark: I'm only offended when my objective offense detector says to be offended.
gollark: Who would you want as supreme dictator then? *Not* me?!
gollark: That's fine if it's me as supreme dictator.

References
  1. "Notwane on the brink of disaster". The Gazette. 18 June 2015.
  2. "Botswana - List of Champions". RSSSF. 2010.
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