In 2005, Township Rollers made history by winning the Coca-Cola Cup for a record four times and had to keep the Cup permanently.
Previously, the team had won it in 1993, 94 and 96.
If they can win it this year, it might take ages for any other team to break their record.
For the teams that made it to the last 16, only two are looking forward to at least equal Rollers’ record while others are looking forward to winning it at least for the first time.
Rollers, on the other hand, will not lie low and will be looking forward to have more Coca-Cola medals than any other team. Bearing in mind that their league championship chances are fading by the day, they would have to throw everything into the Coca-Cola tournament to at least have something for their supporters to smile about.
Also, since the team would not be playing league games this coming weekend, they should not have any reason not to do well against archrivals, Mogoditshane Fighters.
Two teams that come closer to Rollers are Fighters and Notwane because they have won it for three times apiece. It would be history in the making if Fighters can go all the way and win the tournament. Mmoni States Segopolo, who won the tournament with Rollers four times, is now the assistant coach at Fighters.
Fighters, on the other hand, won it in 1999, 2000 and 2003 while Notwane did so in 1995, 97 and 2006.
When Fighters were in top form, they were under the tutelage of Major David Bright who has since moved to professional ranks in South Africa. Fighters by then nurtured good players in the likes of Barney Marman and Mompati Thuma.
Marman played for the national team for some time while Thuma is still the core of the team.
In the mid ninetees when Notwane were also flying high, they were under the incumbent coach, Paul “Barena’ Moyo.
During that time, excellent players like the late Madonsela Ngaka, Fabian Zulu, Terence Mophuting, Odirile Gaolebale, Maybin Chama were the core of the team.
BDF XI, on the other hand, will be looking forward to making it three since they have won it twice. Despite having not won it on many occasions, the army team has been knocked out in the finals three times, in 1995, 2005 and 2006.
This year, if they can go as far as the finals, they would not want to flop again.
Mochudi Centre Chiefs have, however, won the tournament once, so has the other giants, Gunners and Tasc.
Chiefs are the defending champions after winning it for the first time last year, while Gunners won it during its inauguration in 1992. Although they are currently gunning for league championships, GU is yet to win the Coca-Cola Cup.
Teams that are, however, to taste the tournament are Ecco City Green, Uniao Flamengo Santos, Nico United, Police XI, Killer Giants, Gaborone Young Strikers and Naughty Boys.
Already, there are only three first division teams in the tournament and whether one of them will make it to the finals and eventually winning it remains to be seen.
The First Division teams are Jwaneng Comets, Young Strikers and Killer Giants.
Comets reached the finals of the tournament in 1998 when they lost by a solitary goal to BDF XI. After being relegated three seasons ago, they seem to be in the re-building process.
