Police, who were then the defending champions of the Extravaganza, were disqualified after failing to meet the registration deadline. Club chairperson, Diketso Gaborone said redemption would not be easy. “Yes, it will not be an easy task for both our men's and women's teams. You may be aware the last time we played competitive games was back in April during the Ester tournament in Jwaneng. That is a very long time but we are of the understanding that our association is struggling to source sponsors to fund our league. But we remain hopeful,” he said. Gaborone admitted that missing out on the extravaganza tournament meant a drawback in terms of momentum. “If you remember well, both our teams were crowned champions in Jwaneng, missing out on the following tournament (extravaganza) was a big blow, but what can we do? We are pushing hard to get ourselves ready for the upcoming games and we hope to give it our best to get somewhere,” Gaborone said. Former national team coach, Pako Maforaga said the saga around the Extravaganza might just be the spark that the Independence Cup needed.
He said the games are a not-to-miss affair. “The teams that were absent have a point to prove. For others, it might just be the beginning of the end whilst for some it will be to affirm their status as top contenders. For the women, the normal order will be rattled. Phibion Tawina (Police) and his charges will have to work hard. The man will want to show he is not a pretender,” he said. He added Titans coach, Dizzoh Selemogwe, will have to work hard if he wants to be in the mix. “Remember what Gheto Yankees women did in Jwaneng. Wells International will have to pull all the stops if they want to stay at the top,” he said. BDF IX has proven that they are a force to reckon with taking into consideration their display at the Extravaganza where they emerged as the women's champions. However, there are some gaps they should close if they want to stay in contention. Wells won the men's title in Selebi-Phikwe.
The northern teams have a mammoth task ahead. Carats coach, Basiame Molathiwa, should step up and take the team back to its glory days. Romeo Tshelametsi has to triple his workload at Rail Giants if he is to repeat his heroics. Southern and northern zones are expected to release dates for the eliminations soon. Archein Hardware has sponsored the tournament to the tune of P200,000.
