Matebele FC
The Nest. This mini stadium, boasting a lush natural lawn turf, serves as the home ground for the team. Not only does it provide a picturesque backdrop for football enthusiasts, but it also symbolizes the nurturing environment that has fostered the growth of this dynamic club.
As Matebele FC spreads its wings and soars into the elite league, local supporters eagerly await their debut. Their meteoric rise from underdogs to premier league contenders has captivated the imagination of fans across the nation. With their unyielding spirit, unwavering determination, and a touch of audacity, the ‘Kuka Ntsu’ are poised to give their more established rivals a run for their money cum next season.
In an interview, the chairman of Matebele FC, Moreetsi Kediseng, said the team was formed two years ago. At the time they had just gone through a difficult phase, but came out on top, nicknamed “Kuka Ntsu o tla jela ko pele” or the Eagles.
He says Master blackpool FC started playing at third division before Botswana Football Association restructured its leagues.
“Before the beginning of our Kgatleng division one debut season 2018/19, I approached Lame Makache for assistance. The sponsorship came, kits, trainers, some initiatives and man of the match initiative, introduced allowances for our players, and brought in some good players, then we played the entire season and got position two as Master Blackpool FC,” Kediseng said.
He said prior to beginning season 2019/20, Master black pool roped in Makache as their official sponsor with 1.5-million-pula worth of sponsorship.
“It wasn’t just monetary, it covered all the administration and other necessities, the team was transitioning from amateur to semi-professional. That season we played Mochudi Builders World Cup and we went all the way to the finals.” He mentioned.
Kediseng highlighted that by the time the league was affected by COVID-19 they were on position one, played 21 games and leading by 10 points gap; then 2020 December, the team went for the playoffs in Gaborone, and won as Master Blackpool, and got promoted to Debswana First Division South League.
At the time, Master Blackpool was a society and in their Annual General meeting of 2021 they moved from a society to a company, along with its assets, under the ownership of Makache.
“It was not an easy process since there were so many disputes surrounding the birth of a new club. In the process of registering a company, a section of supporters challenged the matter claiming ownership of the club and demanded to be compensated despite the fact that they were absent for years in the running of the team,” he said.
Furthermore, Kediseng revealed that despite issues of ownership, they went ahead and swapped Master Black Pool First Division status with Matebele FC, and complied with the club licensing requirements to play in the first division league.