Botswana moves up in CAF club rankings
League champions, Jwaneng Galaxy might have enjoyed a poor debut season in the CAF Champions League group stages, but the team’s exploits have earned Botswana football recognition. Galaxy was knocked out of the Champions League after failing to register a win in the six group stages’ matches. But their presence in the group stages helped Botswana move 10 places up in the latest CAF Five-Year Ranking. Botswana is now ranked 18th, up from 28th. The ranking is used by CAF to determine the number of clubs that each of the CAF member associations may enter in inter-club competitions.
The top 12 ranked association members are allowed to enter two teams in each of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederations Cup, while the rest are limited to just one in each of the competitions. Galaxy registered a point from the group stages and with the addition of Township Rollers’ performance in the group stages in 2018; Botswana football has now accumulated six points in the last five years.
The ranking criterion is determined by the weighting factor. Points accumulated in the latest year of the five gets a times five points weight, while in the furthest carry a times one point weight. The two clubs are the only to reach the stage of the Champions League helping local football takes a giant leap in the rankings. Botswana is now just six places from joining the elite top 12 member associations in the ranking.
Galaxy had reached the group stages of the Champions League after eliminating Tanzania’s Simba SC on an away goal rule after the two teams played to a 3-3 aggregate score. The team started their group stages adventure with a 4-0 defeat away to ES Tunis in Tunisia before playing to a 1-1 at home against Tunisa’s Etoile du Sahel. From then followed four consecutive defeats that started with 2-1 home defeat to CR Belouizdad of Algeria, then went on to lose 4-1 away to the team away from home in what was the start the second round of group stages games. Galaxy went on to lose 3-0 at home at the hands of ES Tunis before ending their journey with a spirited 3-2 away loss to Etoile du Sahel last weekend.
Morena Ramoreboli’s boys will be proud having made the CAF team of the week on two occasions. Thabang Sesinyi was named in the team after the week four of games while Gilbert Baruti in the latest selection after scoring a brace in the previous weekend. Galaxy has increased the chances of local football of joining the elite top 12 club. The 20222023 local football delegation should at least reach the group stages of each of the Champions League and Confederations Cup, and managed to score at least more than a point each.