Botswana Premier League

Botswana Premier League
Country Botswana
Confederation CAF
Founded 1966
Number of teams 16
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Botswana First Division North
and Botswana First Division South
Domestic cup(s) FA Challenge Cup
Botswana Independence Cup
Orange Kabelano Charity Cup
Mascom Top 8 Cup
International cup(s) Champions League
Confederation Cup
Current champions Township Rollers
(2015–16)
Most championships Township Rollers (13)
2015–16

The Botswana Premier League is the Commercial Wing of Botswana Football Association. The league has existed since 1966. The championship initially called MLO Cup. The first edition 1966, with participants including Tlokweng Pirates, Notwane, Black Peril, Queens Park Rangers and a team from Ngwaketse district. It is currently known as beMobile Premier League for commercial reasons.

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 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 Anold 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.

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 (2015-16)

Club City / Town Position in 2014–15
Botswana Defence Force XIGaborone5th
Botswana Railways Highlanders (R)Mahalapye10th
Extension GunnersLobatse7th
Gaborone UnitedGaborone4th
Gilport LionsLobatse8th
Green LoversSerowePromoted
GalaxyJwanengPromoted
MiscellaneousSerowePromoted
Mochudi Centre ChiefsMochudi2nd
Motlakase Power Dynamos (R)Palapye11th
Nico UnitedSelebi-Phikwe9th
Orapa UnitedOrapa3rd
Police XIOtse6th
Sankoyo Bush BucksMaun12th
Satmos (R)Selebi Phikwe13th
Township RollersGaborone1st

Champions

Previous champions are:[1]

Performance By Club

Club City Titles Last Title
Township Rollers Gaborone 13 2015–16
Botswana Defence Force XI Mogoditshane 7 2003–04
Gaborone United Gaborone 6 2008–09
Mogoditshane Fighters Mogoditshane 4 2003
Mochudi Centre Chiefs Mochudi 4 2014–15
Extension Gunners Lobatse 3 1994
Notwane PG Gaborone 3 1998
ECCO City Greens Francistown 1 2006–07
Police XI Otse 1 2005–06

Topscorers

Year Best scorers Team Goals
2005–06 Botswana Malepa "Chippa" Bolelang ECCO City Greens 24
2006–07 Botswana Pontsho 'Piro' Moloi Mochudi Centre Chiefs 22
2007–08 Zimbabwe Master Masitara
Botswana Jerome Ramatlhakwane 		Nico United
Mochudi Centre Chiefs 		18
2008–09 Zimbabwe Master Masitara Nico United 27
2009–10 Zimbabwe Terrence Mandaza Township Rollers 31

Botswana Premier League Player of the Season

Year Player of the Season Team
2005–06 Botswana Moemedi "Jomo" Moatlhaping Township Rollers
2006–07 Botswana Malepa "Chippa" Bolelang ECCO City Greens
2007–08 Botswana Oteng "Limkokwing" Moalosi Mochudi Centre Chiefs
2008–09 Joel Phetogo Gaborone United
2009–10 Botswana Kabelo Dambe Township Rollers
2013–14 Botswana Mwapule Masule Township Rollers
2014–15 Botswana Lesego Galenamotlhale Mochudi Centre Chiefs

References

  1. ↑ "Botswana - List of Champions". RSSSF. 2010.

External links

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