Numerous signings and pre-season preparations are seen as vital ingredients that measure the capability of teams to do well in the season ahead.
The signings are more effective provided they are the right ones needed by the technical team.
The pre-season helps the coach to assess many things before the league finally kicks off.
Some of such things include combinations and even fitness of the players. Currently, the transfer window is not far from being closed and there are few teams that appear to be busy in the market ahead of the new season while others are just dragging their feet.
The teams that are currently busy are Gaborone United (GU), BMC and Extension Gunners.
Mochudi Centre Chiefs are just rumoured to be seriously interested in certain players in the market but there is nothing concrete yet on the table. Defending champions, Township Rollers, are banking on the fact that they have not lost any of their prized players. This positions them well to defend their title for the second time in a row.
GU have so far showed their intention of winning the league they won three seasons ago by acquiring much celebrated coach, Elvis Chiweshe from Zimbabwean power house, Dynamos.
‘The Money machine’, as GU were known in the past, has fortified their goalkeeping department by signing Botswana’s national team number two, Noah Maposa from Mochudi Centre Chiefs, up-coming strong defender, Gaopatwe ‘Shoes’ Seosenyeng and industrious attacking midfielder, Bakana Moeng from Uniao Flamengo Santos.
GU spokesperson, Romeo Benjamin has since made it clear that GU would soon be a club to reckon with and will be fighting for championships. Immediately after winning the league championships three seasons ago, GU failed to defend it, apparently for lack of depth and vexing participation in the CAF Championships.
BMC showed their intentions of doing well this coming season by first acquiring the services of former Gunners coach, Daniel Nare. Before joining BMC, Nare coached Gunners for three years and left them as a force to reckon with.
Before he arrived, the team always performed below par as they always finished in the bottom eight of the league.
At BMC Nare made his intentions clear and acquired the services of Gunners anchorman, Kemmy Pilato, to bolster his midfield.
After signing Pilato, Nare was called derogatory names by Gunners supporters for crippling their team.
There were reports that BMC were on the verge of luring some Gunners players, like Monageng Thaele and Kgololo Leteane.
One other enterprising player BMC signed is Lesego Lubinda from relegated Motlakase.
Gunners, on the other hand, have not been left behind in their quest to revive those yester year glories when they were untouchable. The Peleng Boys have already made big signings in the name of Boitshoko Zikhale (Santos), Mandlekosi Sibanda (Ecco City) and Alphonse Modisaotsile from Tafic.
Zikhale is indeed a big loss to Santos after being instrumental for them for several years.
Sibanda, on the other hand, has left a void in the attacking department of Ecco city Green. The Zimbabwean is indeed a good catch for Gunners and might be a real force to reckon with in the coming season. With Gunners having intentions of participating in CAF Champions league, he will add much needed depth.
Since joining Ecco city Green almost three years ago, Sibanda has been consistent throughout. For many years, some people wondered why Modisaotsile prefers staying in Francistown, instead of joining a bigger club in the South mainly because of the potential he has.
Modisaotsile has always been the backbone of Tafic for several years now and joining Gunners might be a good move for him. He once featured for the national Under 23 under Major David Bright and did not disappoint.
With the new season about to start, those teams that have signed good players are the ones likely to win the league championships.
