Township Rollers — 16-time Botswana Premier League champions facing FIFA transfer bans and financial crisis, competing in 2026/27 season after securing sponsorships.
Township Rollers have paid upwards of P1.2 million to settle outstanding debts with three former employees and secure the removal of a FIFA transfer ban that threatened to disrupt their season, an exclusive report by WeekendSport reveals. …
… Born in Gulubane, the towering defender honed his craft in street football before climbing the domestic ranks with Nico United, Gaborone United and Township Rollers. …
The league says the opening week provided a positive foundation despite pre-season uncertainty and an early fixture setback involving Township Rollers GAZETTE REPORTER The Botswana Football League has described the opening week of the 2026/27 FNB Premiership as encouraging, sayin …
… The 25-year-old Township Rollers Ladies player sustained fatal injuries in the crash last Saturday morning and later succumbed to them, plunging the football fraternity into mourning. …
… Rollers had travelled to Jwaneng with only seven players for the match, after receiving a fresh FIFA ban ahead of the opening FNB Premiership matches this past weekend.The troubled side had been slapped with a FIFA ban, barring them from registering new players as a result of unp …
… Beneath it lies a problem with the potential to reshape the competitive landscape: the uncertain status of Township Rollers, one of Botswana’s most decorated clubs. …
… Township Rollers, the 16-time Botswana Premier League champions known across southern Africa as Popa or Mapalastina, are staring down the barrel of two simultaneous FIFA disputes involving South African players; one that has already resulted in a registration ban, and another tha …
… That is the story of one of Botswana’s most followed football teams Township Rollers as it seeks to build from the ruins of administrations gone by. …
Township Rollers paid upwards of P1.2 million to resolve financial claims from three former employees—Moroccan coach Abdelaziz Karkache (P850,000), South African forward Thabiso Mokenkoane (P124,000), and Congolese midfielder Ntambwe Wafauna Djo (P111,000)—and secured the removal of a FIFA transfer ban that had disrupted the club's season.
Township Rollers paid upwards of P1.2 million to resolve financial claims from three former employees—Moroccan coach Abdelaziz Karkache (P850,000), South African forward Thabiso Mokenkoane (P124,000), and Congolese midfielder Ntambwe Wafauna Djo (P111,000)—and secured the removal of a FIFA transfer ban that had disrupted the club's season.
Eight of Botswana's top football clubs will compete in the inaugural Elite Top 8 tournament with a total purse of P3.05 million, featuring a P1.5 million championship prize for the winners. Quarter-finals pit Gaborone United against Nico United, Mochudi Centre Chiefs against Morupule Wanderers, Sua Flamingos against Orapa United, and Jwaneng Galaxy against Township Rollers, with finals scheduled for 9–11 October.
National football team captain Thatayaone Ditlhokwe, 27, has secured a one-year contract with Jordanian club Al-Wehdat SC, continuing his professional career abroad after spells in South Africa, Libya and other leagues.
Township Rollers, one of Botswana's most prominent football clubs, faced debts exceeding seven million Pula, a FIFA transfer ban, and player exodus when Thapelo Pabalinga took the chair in January. The club's previous financier, Tendai Sebata, took on debts in the club's name and then disappeared, leaving bills unpaid.
The Botswana Football League described the opening week of the 2026/27 FNB Premiership as encouraging despite pre-season uncertainty and an early fixture setback involving Township Rollers, citing strong response from clubs, players, supporters and other stakeholders.
Former women's national team midfielder Annah Sechane, 25, will be buried in Gathwane on Saturday after dying in a car accident in Lobatse. She had played for the Botswana national team at the 2020 COSAFA Women's Championship and 2022 WAFCON, and locally for Gaborone United and Township Rollers.
An FNB Premiership match between Rollers and Popa was called off minutes after kickoff when Rollers were reduced to six players following an injury, after arriving with only seven players due to a FIFA ban preventing them from registering new players over unpaid wages to former head coach Aziz Karkarche.
The 2026/27 FNBB Premiership has been delayed one week from its planned August 28 start date to September 5 due to administrative disputes between the Botswana Football Association and the Botswana Football League, unresolved club licensing requirements, and an international women's tournament being staged in Botswana.
Township Rollers, the 16-time Botswana Premier League champions, is under a FIFA registration ban after failing to pay approximately R98,000 ordered by FIFA in a dispute with South African defender Thabiso Mokenkoane, whose contract was terminated last season. The ban prohibits the club from signing or registering new players domestically and internationally for up to three consecutive registration periods unless the outstanding amount is settled.
Township Rollers, despite securing sponsorships worth millions of pula to pay debts, now faces two new FIFA transfer bans effective July and August 2026, following unpaid dues to former coach Abdelaziz Karkache (P1.2 million) and other creditors.
The Botswana Football League released its official fixture list for the 2026/27 FNB Premiership season on Monday, clearing the way for play to resume after a turbulent off-season marked by internal governance disputes. The same week, BFL chairperson Sipho Showa survived a motion of no confidence at the league's annual general meeting, with shareholders instead introducing a rotation system for board representation.
Township Rollers have secured sponsorships including a two-year P2 million agreement with Bet267 (guaranteeing P1 million annually for 2026/27 and 2027/28), plus deals with Diadora and Options, marking a commercial turnaround for the 16-time league champions after recent financial difficulties.
Township Rollers has announced two major sponsorships: Bet267 will pay P2 million over two seasons (P1 million per season) for shirt naming rights, while Hope Tee Energy will inject P6 million over three years (P2 million per season) as main sponsor. The deals signal a shift toward sustainability for the Gaborone-based club, which recently faced player departures and debt.
The inaugural Tati River Cup, a one-day pre-season football tournament, kicks off at Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown. The tournament features four teams—Township Rollers, TAFIC FC, Tonota FC, and Nkana FC from Zambia—plus women's curtain-raiser matches, and aims to revive football in the Northern Region while boosting community development and local sport tourism.
Zambian record league champions Nkana will compete in the inaugural Tati River Cup on Friday 8 August in Francistown, facing Township Rollers, TAFIC Sporting Club, and Tonota FC as part of their pre-season preparation for the 2026-27 campaign.
Mochudi Centre Chiefs, after returning to Botswana's FNB Premiership, have signed nine new players including defender Mosha Gaolaolwe, winger Mpho Kgaswane, and striker Omphile Vissagie, as part of an ambitious rebuilding strategy aimed at competing for trophies rather than merely surviving in the top division.
Township Rollers have agreed a five-year technical sponsorship with Italian sportswear brand Diadora valued at P20 million, covering match kits, training gear, and technical apparel. The partnership is expected to ease operational costs and allow the club to invest in football development.
Township Rollers, Botswana's leading football club, is experiencing rapid decline marked by governance turmoil and financial chaos, culminating in the ouster of former chairperson Bafana Phempheretlhe Pheto and his committee, with a Special General Assembly held on October 11 in Palapye described as a pivotal moment for the club.
Orlando Pirates were crowned champions at the Clash of Legends event held at the National Stadium on Saturday, which featured rival teams and was attended by President Duma Boko and First Lady Kaone. The event aimed to raise funds and awareness for retired players facing difficult circumstances in their post-football lives.
Bona Life has renewed its title sponsorship of the 2026 Betway Clash of Legends, an event at the National Stadium bringing together former football greats from Township Rollers, Mochudi Centre Chiefs, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates to celebrate football heritage and community pride.
Botswana's football powerhouse Township Rollers is in financial turmoil, with players demanding payment of up to 12 months' unpaid salaries, bonuses, and rental allowances by end of June. The crisis has triggered senior player departures, including defender and midfielder Mosha Gaolaolwe, who has requested contract termination to move to another club.
Chiefs are in ongoing contract renewal negotiations with 27-year-old forward Fortune, whose current deal expires in December. Despite the club's general manager confirming talks, a source reports growing interest from several top-flight clubs in South Africa and two FNB Premiership clubs monitoring his situation.
A Botswana sports delegation led by Minister Jacob Kelebeng visited Belgrade to study Serbia's elite athletic systems and advance bilateral sports and culture partnerships. The two countries agreed to formalise their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding, with discussions focusing on infrastructure development, sports science, and school and club-based sports models.
Jwaneng Galaxy forward Thabang Sesinyi claimed his fourth Golden Boot in five seasons after scoring four goals against Township Rollers on the final day of the season to separate himself from his closest rival, who was tied with him on 16 goals. The veteran striker also surpassed 100 professional goals in August 2025.
Betway Botswana has committed P1.5 million to the Clash of Legends football tournament, now renamed Betway Clash of the Legends, to support retired football players' welfare and elevate the event into a regional attraction. This year's edition will feature legends from Township Rollers and Mochudi Centre Chiefs alongside South African giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Betway has sponsored the fourth edition of Clash of the Legends with P1.5 million, to be held on June 20 at the National Stadium featuring Mochudi Centre Chiefs, Township Rollers, Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates. The tournament aims to support retired football legends facing hardship after their careers end.
Betway Botswana has become the title sponsor of the annual Clash of Legends one-day tournament with a P1.5m investment. The tournament will take place at the National Stadium on June 20 and feature legends from Mochudi Centre Chiefs, Township Rollers, Kaizer Chiefs, and Orlando Pirates.