Gaborone will be gripped by soccer fever in the next two weeks when a tournament involving two South Africa Premier League clubs is staged here.
Details of the tournament which will feature Jomo Cosmos and Super Sport United, along with Centre Chiefs and Extension Gunners will be revealed at a press conference to be held on Thursday this week.
One of the event organizers, Fobby Radipotsane on Friday refused to elaborate on the premier event reserving all comments for the Thursday press conference.
At the time of going to press participating teams had not been told how much is at stake or the tournament format, although it is believed the event has received financial backing from a sponsor to be announced on Thursday.
The tournament comes at a time when the South African league is in recess due to the Africa Cup of Nations starting in Ghana this coming weekend. The various clubs however would want to use the long break to keep fit, as well as giving their newly signed players some match practice as the tournament coincides with the January transfer window.
Organisers of the event also opine that it could open doors for talented local players who might interest the visitors during the two day event. Already Botswana has four players plying their trade with various South African clubs.
Botswana international striker Dipsy Selolwane is expected to lead the Cosmos attack. He is one of those players lacking match fitness after missing from action for the entire first round of the League matches due to delays in processing his papers.
In the meantime Township Rollers will use the League recess in South Africa to go there and play a friendly with Kaizer Chiefs on the same weekend the four club tournament is held here. Township Rollers' friendly with Kaizer Chiefs was mooted towards the end of last year and hopes are high at the Gaborone giants that perhaps the wealthy South African club would want to buy one or two of their players.
Township Rollers have done business with South African clubs before. More than ten years ago, they sold the then crack striker, Joseph Chikoti to Mamelodi Sundowns and in the last three years Rollers have sold the likes of winger Jomo Moatlhaping, Phenyo Mongala (aka Mzambiya), and Mogogi Gabonamong to various South African clubs.
Rumour has it that this time the Blues could do business with Kaizer Chiefs who are reported to have been monitoring Rollers’ Zambian striker Bernard Simakwenzi since BDF XI signed him two years ago.
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