Author: Daily News

Tonota FC, affectionately known as Sepondo se a debola, have on Saturday, secured a crucial 1-0 victory against Ferry Wanderers to extend their dominance and unbeaten streak at the top of the First Division North.

The result cements their commanding 10-point lead, taking their total to 32 points. While the league leaders celebrated the win, post-match interviews from both benches offered a pragmatic tactical assessment from the winning coach and encouragement for the defeated side.

In a post-match interview, Tonota FC head coach, Thaloba Nthaga, admitted that his players did not have their best game, which accounted for the narrow scoreline, courtesy of an early Odirile Lekoba goal in the 13^th minute.

Nthaga said football was about collecting points and vowed to continue prioritising wins and leave no room for complacency.

Their current run, characterised by an unbeaten record and significant goal difference, reflects a focused drive to gain promotion to the FNB Premiership and establish Tonota as a formidable force in elite football.

Their passionate fan base, who pack the grounds wearing club merchandise, are a crucial element of the club’s identity and recent success.

On the opposing bench, Ferry Wanderers’ coach, Murphy Maseko, said he was happy about his players’ performance despite the defeat.

Maseko praised his side for creating chances that were often denied by Tonota’s goalkeeper. He felt his team deserved at least a point, though he admitted they were up against a highly motivated and top-of-the-table side.

Meanwhile, Tonota FC’s unwavering pursuit of promotion now takes them to Mahalapye to face BR Highlanders.

The fixture represents a challenging test against an experienced club fighting to regain their former top-flight status.

BR Highlanders, alias Stimela, boast significant history, having first secured promotion to the Premier League in the 2012 season and winning the First Division North title again in the 2017-18 season.

Their current position means they are also aiming for an immediate return to the elite league.

The challenge for the Tonota side, however, is that playing away in Mahalapye against a team with recent Premier League history would demand both resilience and discipline. The match would be a critical examination of Tonota FC’s approach.

Tonota FC are currently on a run of at least five consecutive wins, a streak that reflects strong management, coaching and passionate supporter backing.

All eyes would be on whether Coach Nthaga’s strategy of prioritising points over aesthetics can continue to deliver three points against the formidable BR Highlanders in their next fixture. 

The Botswana Chess Federation national youth team is in Zimbabwe for the 16^th edition of African Youth Chess Championship, which started on December 6 until 14.

The team will compete in the Under-8 category, which has Saishanvi Reddy Nalamalpu, Morena Mokefane and Rhea Lekoape.

In the under-10 category, the team has Ngwao Keoletile, Cherillath Kandamangalam, Atang Amen Fidzani, Paul Peloentle-Bayani, Rethabile Pitso whereas Onthatile Maruatona, Abrar Quadsia Toor and Karla Makgabana make up the Under-12 team.

 Adeola Moshoboro, Eesha Reddy Nalamalpu, Omaatla Mogwere, Keaboka Cleo Rankwane, Gouthum Babu Suresh and Wu Zeyin will represent the nation in the under-14 category whereas in the under-16 there is Laone Moshoboro and Noor Fatima Toor. Natalie Banda, Romeo Oabile and Darius Banda will represent Botswana in the under-18 category.

In an interview, the federation’s public relations officer, Goitsemodimo Makgatle said the team, which is under the tutelage of Vincent Masole and Pudungwane Lesole, would compete against Africa’s best chess players, with the hope of winning medals and attaining international ratings while gaining valuable experience for future championships.

Prior to their departure on Friday, she said the federation hosted a high-performance training camp for the team in Gaborone.

She said the programme focused on three key areas of competitive excellence such as calculation and defensive, systems of thinking in chess as well as practical game application.

The camp, she said, also emphasised discipline, focus and teamwork, which were the qualities of essential for success both on and off the chess board.

Three table tennis whiz kids, Reneilwe Lekorwe, Carol David and Boitlamo Nkele left for Dammam, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for the World Table Tennis Youth Contender Series 2025, which starts from December 7 to10.

The tournament consists of under-11, 13, 15, 17 and 19 categories with mixed doubles in the under-15 and 19 categories for both boys and girls.

The three players had a very good year as they have displayed mouthwatering performances on various table tennis competitions both locally and internationally.

Recently, they were issued a sponsorship by a South African veteran, Luke Abrahams, the founder and director of Just Table Tennis after dazzling at the Jwaneng Open Table Tennis Tournament.

In an interview, Botswana Table Tennis Association public relations officer, Tshegofatso Malepa, said the team under the mentorship of Brown Sebokolodi and Emmah Lelatisitswe, were picked through national team selection, which was performance based. 

She said Lekorwe also was offered a sponsorship by ITTF Africa after finishing 11^th in last year’s Africa Youth Championships.

Lekorwe’s sponsorship allowed him to use the US$800 in any competition of his choice, said Malepa.

Furthermore, she said Lekorwe and Nkele were also offered a sponsorship by Botswana National Olympic Committee christened Olympic Solidarity, which was still active.

The duo, Malepa explained were also offered another sponsor by Stag Global that provided them with attires and all gaming accessories for any competition that they were part of adding that for these achievements they booked their tickets to represent the country at Dammam.

As for David, Malepa said she was offered a sponsorship by Botswana National Sport Commission to make the three players for Team Botswana.

“All these three players are national team players. You can recall that they were in a national team that went to Namibia therefore they were still within the means of benefiting from these programmes whilst in the national team,” Malepa.

Meanwhile, another duo of national team players, Briannah Mogaladi and Thato Kgongwan will head to Angola for the Africa Youth Championships.

The team, coached by Godirileone Bagwasi, will start their competition from December 10 until 20.

Expectations are high as Botswana netball national teams descend upon the capital City of Malawi, Lilongwe to compete at the Africa Netball Cup 2025 at the Griffin Saenda Sports Complex from December 8 to 14.

Having previously missed the tournament in Namibia, which affected their rankings, it is now Botswana’s time to redeem its pride at the continental tournament.

Before departing for Malawi on Thursday, the team had been camping in Jwaneng honing their skills and competed at the SPAR Championship Tournament, which gave coach Martha Mosoahle-Samm, the opportunity to try some combinations and other new tactics before start of the tournament.

The 11 countries expected to compete in both men and women categories are Botswana, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Namibia, Kenya, eSwatini and the host Malawi.

Botswana women, will face Africa netball’s powerhouse, Uganda in their opening match on Monday and take on Tanzania on Wednesday. The team will then play their last fixture in the pool against Zimbabwe.

The men’s side will take on Uganda on Tuesday, Zimbabwe on Thursday.

Despite facing tough fixtures, Botswana Netball Association (BONA) spokesperson, Regent Pitso remained resolute that the teams were determined to deliver.

He believed that the monthly camps that were held in Jwaneng had fully prepared the teams.

Furthermore, he is of the view that playing a Test Series with eSwatini recently and the SPAR Championship Tournament had also sharpened the teams.

Botswana did not take part in the Africa Cup edition and Pitso was adamant that their appearance in Malawi would assist them to get back to their international rhythm.

He further said they would use the Africa Cup 2025 as part of their preparations for the World Cup qualifiers.

Women’s Team

SHOOTERS

Hilda Binang (Jwaneng Netball Club)

Boikanyo Selogetso (Jwaneng Netball Club)

Chenesani Mbangiwa (BDF Cats Netball Club)

Patience Kebatenne (BDF Cats Netball Club)

MIDCOURT

Maungo Simone (BDF Cats Netball Club)

Keletso Gontho (BDF Cats Netball Club)

Kolobetso Mbangiwa (BDF Cats Netball Club)

Kefilwe Ragono (BDF Cats Netball Club)

DEFENDERS

Letang Mogotlwane (BDF Cats Netball Club

Maipelo Mosotho (BDF Cats Netball Club)

Thatayaone Maswikiti, (Police Netball Club)

Ntebogang Motlakaloso (Jwaneng Netball Club)

RESERVES

Florence Poane (BDF Cats Netball Club)

Teedzani Keabile (Jwaneng Netball Club)

 Golebamang Letang (Police Netball Club)

Men’s Team

ATTACKERS

Boniface Moeng (BDF Cats Netball Club)

Oscar Mphaleng (Police Netball Club)

Karabo Kgomokhumo (Police Netball Club)

Tshegofatso Monyama (Police Netball Club)

MID COURT

Oaitse Tshiping (Prisons)

Thuto Bogatsu (Notwane)

Bonang Moswate (BDF Cats Netball Club)

Tshepang Monthe (Police Netball Club)

DEFENCE

Merapelo Rataola(Prisons)

Neelo Modumo (Police Netball Club)

John Lucas (BDF Cats Netball Club)

Henry Moalosi (Prisons)

RESERVES

Aabakwe Tlhage (Notwane)

Mompati Motlhanka (Police Netball Club)

Meanwhile, Merapelo Karabo and Obuile Ramosesane have been appointed to represent Botswana as umpires at the tournament.

It is that time of year when the country’s pulse shifts. As Batswana stream back to their home villages, lands and cattle posts, the festive season is not only announced by family gatherings but by the rhythmic thud of a football striking dusty earth. 

Across Botswana, well-wishers, entrepreneurs and returning villagers pool resources to stage a phenomenon that has become as familiar as the holiday rains-the Festive Tournament. 

From makeshift goalposts hewn from tree branches to pitch markings scratched into bare ground, these tournaments began as simple village pastimes. 

Today, they have evolved into high-stakes spectacles- a vibrant fusion of cultural homecoming, grassroots sport, informal commerce and, increasingly, a source of tension with elite professional football. In their early years, the competitions were modest: a team from one ward challenging another, or relatives from the cattle post gathering players who ‘can play a bit’. 

But in more established centres, ambition grew. Long-standing events like the Thamaga Christmas Tournament and the renowned Matlolapata Games in Mogoditshane became institutions, drawing teams from regional leagues and Constituency Tournaments. 

As the stakes rose, so did the incentives. Cash prizes grew. Livestock became trophies. Teams began recruiting ‘guest players’-semi-professionals and even top-tier stars returning home for the holidays. The northern villages followed suit. 

In places like Tutume and Masunga, dusty patches have been fitted with floodlights, illuminating matches played long after the heat of the day has passed.

Appearance fees are now standard and prize money is no longer small change. With this surge in investment came an inevitable consequence: the attention of Botswana’s elite players and referees, eager to maintain fitness and earn off-season income. 

But the allure of the festive pitch clashes sharply with professional obligations. For contracted players, turning out for non-league village teams carries the ever-present risk of injury-a risk that could derail an entire season. 

Clubs have responded with strict contractual clauses, effectively forbidding participation. Yet the economic pull is powerful. 

“We make a lot of money,” one Extension Gunners player admitted. “During Christmas I can play for a team in Mogotlhwane and on New Year’s I will go to Lekgolobotlo. They know we are professional players, so they pay us well.” 

It is a symbiotic relationship: communities gain celebrity firepower; players gain lucrative-though technically prohibited-income. But the stakes are high. 

A Gaborone United player revealed the new obstacle: surveillance by social media. “Yes, we sometimes sneak out,” he confessed. “But the problem is the phones. The moment someone posts a picture, management sees it. This year, I will be a spectator.” 

The real trouble begins when an injury occurs. Some clubs have even convened disciplinary hearings for players injured during these festive appearances. Yet despite the tension, the tournaments remain essential to village life. They provide entertainment for thousands who return home each December. They are also an economic lifeline: the edges of the pitch burst into vibrant marketplaces. Vendors selling ma-fresh, ice pops, braai meat and papa make brisk holiday profits-money often used to prepare children for the new school year. 

Culturally, the tournaments are a magnet. This is where the ‘Gaborones’- the diaspora of urban life-return to parade cooler boxes, scents and small empires of holiday swagger. 

But beyond showmanship, the festive pitch is a social crossroads, where old friends reconnect, feuds quietly dissolve, and new relationships begin under the heat and music of December. 

In truth, the Festive Tournament is a microcosm of the modern Motswana holiday-a place where rural and urban worlds meet; where football blends with commerce; where love, rivalry, ambition and nostalgia coexist. 

It may bring contractual headaches and management warnings, but its cultural gravity is undeniable. And so, each December, as the villages fill and the evenings lengthen, one sound remains constant: the echo of a ball across the festive pitch, carrying with it the spirit of homecoming.

As the senior national football team, The Zebras gallop into Morocco for their second appearance at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which start from December 21 to January 18,2026, their aim is to make an indelible mark.

The last time, the Zebras featured in the AFCON finals was in 2012, which was co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Despite making their maiden qualification for the Africa football showpiece as group leaders, their performance was not something to write home about.

Under the tutelage of the late Stanley Tshosane, the Zebras lost all their three group stages games. They were thrashed by Guinea 6-1 and lost 1-0 to Ghana and 2-1 to Mali respectively. 

This time around, Zebras gaffer, Morena Ramoreboli said they would leave an impressive mark at the tournament. He said the team would only need five points to reach the knockout stage, a target he said he had set for his charges.

He was emboldened by the depth of the cream la de creme choice of players who he said had what it took to represent the country at the tournament. Despite not utilising the FIFA international break by not playing friendly games, he was optimistic that the team would rise to the occasion and leave an impact. 

He said the initial plan was for players to report for camp early so that they could have ample time to prepare for the games. “I think we will have enough time to prepare the team and also try to get those combinations right,” he said.

The team’s preparations, he noted would be in two phases, at home and away in Tunisia Ramoreboli relayed the preparations will be in two phases here at home and away in Tunisia where they would play two friendly games before heading to Morocco for the football showdown. 

Zebras squad:

GOALKEEPERS

Lesenya Malapela (Orapa United), 

Keeagile Kgosipula (Mochudi Centre Chiefs), 

Kabelo Dambe (Township Rollers),

 Goitseone Phoko (Jwaneng Galaxy).

DEFENDERS

Mosha Gaolaolwe (Township Rollers),

Thatayaone Ditlhokwe (Al-Itthad Lybia), 

Shanganani Nganda (Mochudi Centre Chiefs),

Alford Velaphi (Gaborone United), 

Mothusi Johnson, Chicco Molefe, Thabo Leinanyane, Tebogo Kopelang (Jwaneng Galaxy).

MIDFIELDERS

Godiraone Modingwane (BDF XI), 

Gape Mohutsiwa (MC Oran, Algeria), 

Omphile Vissage, Mothusi Cooper (Township Rollers) 

Koketso Majafi (Orapa United), 

Olebogeng Ramotse (Jwaneng Galaxy), 

Gilbert Baruti, Monty Enosa (Mochudi Centre Chiefs)

Omphile Ramoagi, Lebogang Ditsele, Thabo Maponda (Gaborone United).

STRIKERS 

Omaatla Kebatho (Jwaneng Galaxy)

Kabelo Seakanyeng (Mas Fes, Morocco)

Thabang Sesinyi (Jwaneng Galaxy) 

Tumisang Orebonye (Waydad Casablanca) 

Segolame Boy (Sua Flamingoes), 

Eric Ookame (Orapa United)

Thapelo Balatlheng (Township Rollers)

Losika Ratshukudu (Ubuntu FC, South Africa)

Thatayaone Kgamanyane (Gaborone United)

RESERVES

Thero Setsile (Al Shomooa, Lybia)

Benson Mangolo (Richards Bay, South Africa)

Kgotso Raditlhongwa (Jwaneng Galaxy)

Mpho Kgaswane (Gaborone United).

Tennis in Botswana is currently gaining significant momentum and traction, thanks to the foundational work of the older generation who paved the way for the young players.

Not only is the young generation making strides and making tennis attractive, but they have also placed the country in a better position to be granted rights to host high-profile tournaments.

The past two weeks saw Botswana hosting two international junior tennis tournaments that attracted participants from Canada, Hong Kong (China), France, Great Britain, Serbia, Greece, Portugal, Czech Republic, India, Thailand, Egypt, Namibia, South Africa and, of course, Botswana.

The two events were a great success, given the global reach and diversity of the participants attracted, the high level of tennis displayed, the number of local players in the main draw as well as the performances of some of local players. A total of 17 Botswana players made it into the main draw of the J60, consisting of eight girls and nine boys.

The Botswana Tennis Association (BTA) leadership is surely happy, given that this is a substantial number of players who ordinarily would not have contested in an international event, had the BTA not hosted the tournament, as tennis is inherently expensive.

In an interview, BTA vice president, Nonofo Othusitse, said this substantiated their position that hosting such events was critical for providing an opportunity and platform for their players.

Othusitse said it also provided players with the much-required exposure to international-level play, which resulted in an improved level of play and, consequently, improved international rankings.

Talking about rankings, he highlighted a huge jump in the rankings from a number of players, such as Ntungamili Raguin, who broke into the world’s top 200 with a current ranking of 167.

Othusitse also applauded Angel Chakanyuka, who won her first J100 match and earned 10 points, placing her at 2 906 in the world at just 13-years-old.

“We also have 13-year-old Malak Macheng at 2 036, while Nina Sekonopo rose to 1 412. A special mention should also go to the Re Ba Bona Ha Serowe Centre product, Kgosi Tometso, who also received his maiden ranking at 4 245. I think his story will inspire a great number of kids from that centre,” he said.

The greatest success of the two events will obviously have to be the back-to-back singles title wins by Ntungamili, as well as the boys’ doubles J30 title win and the silver medal in the J100.

In that regard, Othusitse said such were amazing performances and achievements by Ntungamili and the BTA awaited the entries for the 2026 Australia Open Junior Championships with bated breath.

He also noted that a number of Under 14 players who were part of the two tournaments generated a lot of interest.

“This includes the likes of Rerotlhe Kgannyeng, Tinashe Phatshwane, Malak, Angel and Kgotso Kejakang. Next year, more Under 14s are expected to start competing in the World Tennis Tour Juniors, so one might confidently conclude that we will have an even more competitive number of players by this time next year,” he said.

Consequently, Othusitse highlighted the need for resources in order to effectively provide the required support towards junior talents.

“We therefore make a call to corporate Botswana to join other corporates such as Choppies, Senn Foods, Spar and Gaborone Electronics to become Botswana tennis development partners,” he said.