It looks like the same old trend will continue regarding teams that get promotion and relegation from the First Division to the Premier League. Already Mogoditshane Fighters and Selibe Phikwe side, FC Satmos, have gained promotion to the Premier League and both teams are not new.
They keep on going up and down like a yo-yo.
Another team that was in the Premier League just two seasons ago, Great North (GNT) Tigers, also stand a chance to be promoted after winning the first round of the two legged encounters against Mochudi Buffaloes in the promotional playoffs and GNT won the first round by two goals without reply.
The second round will be played this weekend.
Mogoditshane Fighters were relegated from the Premier League three seasons ago, while Satmos were relegated five seasons ago.
It is rare for a new team to gain promotion; it is always the same old faces. Football official, Fobby Radipotsane, has expressed concern, saying the situation needs serious attention.
Radipotsane told Sunday Standard that the whole scenario does not benefit football at all.
“The main problem is that all the teams that always come and go do not have a vision and ambition. Right now you can go around those teams and ask them what their next step is since gaining promotion. You will be shocked by the kind of answers you get,” he said.
Radipotsane called on the Botswana Football Association (BFA) to do something about it because, in the long run, this will affect football in general.
“The BFA should at least come up with a policy that will make sure that the First Division adds value to the Premier League. In South Africa, after realising that they were going through the same trend, they adopted a system whereby half of the starting line ups of the teams in the First Division are under 23. This would enable many youth players to gain game time and also those players not utilized in the Premier League would be easily loaned to the lower division,” he said.
Radipotsane said in Botswana, First Division is normally used as a retirement home by old players deemed surplus in the Premier League. He said once such players help their respective teams gain promotion to the Premier League, they struggle and the team then bounces immediately to the lower division.
Other teams that have the tendency of bouncing to the First Division only to gain promotion are the likes of Francistown based side, Tasc, Naughty Boys of Tlokweng and even Jwaneng Comets.
