It was a fairly good advert for local football with a carnival atmosphere enveloping the National Stadium on a bright sunny afternoon.
The football could have been better as Gaborone United sat back for the bulk of the 90 minutes while Township Rollers did most of the ineffective probing.
The National Stadium was not brimming, possibly due to a counter-attraction in Moshupa where multitudes were attending Hika La Ngwanyana Cultural Festival. Judging by the colours at the stadium, Gaborone United commands lesser following compared to Township Rollers and the numbers could be better if the Reds had more bodies on the seats.
The GU-Rollers match has emerged as the Premier League’s biggest drawcard, replacing the Rollers-Mochudi Centre Chiefs battle. The absence of Extension Gunners, one of the biggest crowd pullers in the land, has also been telling. However, authorities must work with what they have at the moment, which is the Rollers-GU derby. The fixture is now top of the pile as the Premier League’s main attraction and this should be evident right across. The return of Bennett Mamelodi, a man who was at the helm when the Premier League enjoyed its place in the sun around 2009, could reignite the spark.
The week leading up to the derby was a hive of activity, particularly in the press, with the Botswana Football League (BFL) going a step further to acknowledge the media’s coverage of the build-up. Small but crucial steps! There are many marketing strategies that can be utilised to rekindle the derby and place it on the same pedestal as other rivalries in the region. During a press conference last week Wednesday, Mamelodi wondered why the Gaborone derby remained behind in terms of its peers within the region. Go to South Africa and you are guaranteed a full house when Orlando Pirates do battle with Kaizer Chiefs. The same can be said about Highlanders and Dynamos in Zimbabwe. In spite of the economic upheavals in the neighbouring country, the fixture has remained relevant and attracts good crowds.
GU and Rollers can achieve the same with just a little bit of a jolt from the authorities. The fixture must not be viewed in the context of Gaborone, but should be treated as a national treasure. There is a glaring need to engage supporters from all corners of the country and provide attractive packages for fans to travel down to the capital for the derby treat.
Public transport operators, accommodation and other service providers should be roped in to offer travel packages for fans. The derby must not be the talking point only in the week leading to the fixture. Administrators can take a leaf from the Soweto derby particularly during the Carling Black Label Cup. Fans from neighbouring countries are given an opportunity, through the sponsor’s brand, Carling Black Label, to buy the product and win tickets to the match.
Competitions can run months in advance to get fans from far afield an opportunity to travel to Gaborone for the match. Hospitality packages are big in other countries and the BFL should start thinking in that direction. Yes, the facilities do not offer suites, but there can be improvisation. Clubs and BFL all have a role to play in ensuring the derby roars to life and claims its place among the elite.
