Top 8 fever hits Ghetto

The Francistown Sports Complex is expected to attract over 20 000 spectators during the Mascom Top 8 Final on 3rd March. The Top 7th edition final will be played at the twenty-six thousand seater facility for the third consecutive time when the popular Township Rollers collide with Orapa United .The facility is the largest sports venue in the country, attracted over 15 000 spectators when Jwaneng Galaxy beat Orapa United 4-3 in last year’s Top 8 final. The modern facility boast of an impressive pitch and an electric atmosphere during high profile games like the Top 8 final. In recent years, the facility has hosted thrilling matches that often conclude in a nail biting fashion. The final game will be the third consecutive final to be hosted at the city of Francistown.

The first final was between Orapa United and Township Rollers in the 2015/2016 edition in which Orapa United pulled a major upset against Popa. Once again, the facility located in the Madzibalori area of Francistown has beat the archaic National Stadium in Gaborone to host the Tse di Tona tournament decider. Speaking at a Press Conference on Tuesday the Mascom Top 8 Local Organizing committee chairman Moreo Modisenyane said the near 30 000 seating capacity of the facility was one of the factors that led to their decision.

With the drought of top-flight football having hit hard on Francistown over the years Modisenyane said they had to bring football to the people. “We decided to give this final to the Francistown Community, we haven’t hosted any Mascom Top 8 game in Francistown so we give the Francistown community this final clash.” Moreover, the last Mascom Top 8 final attracted over 15 000 spectators and this year 5000 more are expected to throng the Francistown Stadium.

“Rollers are undoubtedly the most popular team in the country and we know Orapa can also pull a crowd so we expect nothing less than twenty thousand, I am putting my head on the block and saying we are going to exceed the 20 000 mark,” said Modisenyane. In attempts to pull a massive crowd they will be abridged prices for the first 500 spectators who will buy the Nswazi Stand (Eastern) tickets, which cost P40, will get a P10 discount, the tickets price will be condensed to P30. For the northern and southern stands the ticket’s that cost P30 will be reduced to P20.

“We want to reward the early bird’s spectators so this reward period will go on from the 19th to 26th of February. After the 26th the prices will be back to normal prices even if we don’t reach that 500 spectators,” Botswana Premier League (BPL) CEO Thabo Ntshinogang said during the press conference. Security will be improved once more, “we had deployed a 120 security officers and forty police men in the last final. Around 60 security officers were based inside the stadium and another 60 were outside . We are hoping to increase the numbers for the safe guarding of property and spectators.”