Despite enjoying their season on the pitch and maintaining their position at the summit of the league table after a 3-0 win over Police XI, Rollers have in recent times found themselves encountering financial problems.
The struggles came after the departure of former president and investor, Jagdish Shah who has since been replaced by local businessman, Jimmy Haskins Kereng. Responding to SportMonitor inquiry, the club’s public relations officer, Pako Lebanna acknowledged financial challenges.
He said for two months since the start of the season in October, the club has delayed paying salaries. “It is true that there was delayed payment for Township Rollers’ players’ salaries. Players chose to withdraw from training for a few days, but that issue was addressed amicably between management and staff.
The players trained ahead of Sunday’s game against BDF XI and Wednesday’s Gaborone Derby. Players' salaries are confidential, between the employer and employee, we cannot reveal when they are paid. We can confirm Township Rollers will always meet its contractual obligations to pay players,” said Lebanna. He also said the delay was caused by a challenge in cash flow and the club's executive committee met to discuss short and long-term solutions.
The players were meanwhile addressed to bring them into confidence as Popa strives for financial stability. “Since pre-season in June, it has only been in the October and November months that there was delayed payment; and for the month of October, the challenge was only for a few days,” he said.
“But we do acknowledge a financial challenge. The nature of the Botswana football industry currently is that it is not profitable. We are exploring all avenues to ensure long-term financial stability for Rollers, to ensure we not only cover operating costs but also establish long-term commercial viability for the club,” Lebanna stated.
Popa has in a decade turned from being the most profitable club to finding to battle financial challenges. In the first year under Shah in 2013, Rollers announced P6 million in profits. A decade later the club is seeking donations from well wishers as part of the initiatives to stay afloat for the rest of the season. The club has one of the biggest wage bills in the country with key players like Mogakolodi Ngele, Thabo Rakhale and Tshepo Matete said to be raking thousands in salaries.
