Another weekend, another adventure! The BTC Premiership has caught fire .., literally!
It was another weekend full of ups and downs as the BTC Premiership went into its ninth (9th) week.
As is now the norm in the BTC Premiership for the past two seasons, it was drama, excitement and disappointments.
It all started with you know who! Yep! The guys from Kgatleng providing the drama, Sharps shooting down the soldiers, Rollers struggling but winning and of course, the goals.
Chiefs at it again
A week after running defending champions Township Rollers rugged in a BTC Premierships encounter, Chiefs did the unthinkable!
Not that we were surprised anyway. It has now become a norm that where there is Magosi, as Chiefs is affectionately called, then there is drama.
On Friday, Centre Chiefs players refused to board the bus for the team’s scheduled match with Miscellaneous SC in Serowe.
At the heart of the players’ refusal? Chiefs’ management’s failure to pay players their promised monthly dues as promised before the Rollers game.
As a result, the Botswana Premier league (BPL) secretariat was forced to cancel the game at the last minute.
Now the question is, ‘What will be the BPL’s reaction to the Chiefs embarrassment?’ will they get another slap in the wrist? Only time will tell.
Sharps shoot down Matebele
Just when we were about to write Sharps Shooting Stars’ title chase obituary, then boom! Sharps explodes and bombs the then unbeaten BDF XI out of the top 4.
At the start of the season, Sharps positioned themselves at the top of the league, only to fade and move into the mid-table as BDF XI usurped them.
Enter the ninth week, Sharps is back in the top four and in the mix, all at the expense of BDF XI.
Razor Tsatsilebe’s boys did what many a team had failed to do so far this season as they ended BDF XI’s unbeaten league run, handily beating the boys from Mogoditshane barracks 3 ÔÇô 0.
The win moved Sharps into third position in the BTC Premiership league log, three points behind Orapa United albeit with two games in hand.
For BDF XI, their first loss of the season means they now make way for Sharps and move into mid-table.
Where did all the goals go?
Save for the Sharps versus BDF XI and the Jwaneng Galaxy versus Sankoyo Bush Bucks clashes which produced three goals apiece, there was a goals drought in the BPL, making this week the lowest scoring week in the 2018/19 BPL league season.
At least four (4) games produced only a goal apiece while another was a goalless draw.
For the first time in nine weeks, the strikers failed to hit as many goals as in previous weeks, with only ten (10) goals scored in seven (7) matches this past weekend, a return of 1.4 goals per match.
While the cancelled Chiefs versus Miscellaneous clash may be cited as a contributing factor, a return of nine goals does not just cut it.
Did all the strikers go on a boycott of the league alongside Centre Chiefs players? Or were the defenders having a great week?
Rollers’ Nikola hangover continues
Rollers won and are still the pacesetters in the BPL. Popa beat but Alas! The Blue Train has lost a bit of a momentum.
In the wake of Coach Nikola Kavazovic’s departure, Rollers have struggled to hit top form.
In the two matches that they have played since parting ways with the Serbian gaffer, Rollers has struggled, winning a game, drawing one, while scoring two goals and conceding one goal.
Considering a wealth of talent within the Rollers’ team, their failure to put teams to the sword should be a cause for concern. Is there now a chink in Rollers’ armour?
The Rollers faithful must be restless now.
