Distance a big enemy for teams like Desert Nxau
It is not proven but there appears to be a correlation between time teams spend on the road and their performance on the field of play.
You do not have to look further than Sankoyo Bush Bucks and teams from the Kgalagadi region that participate in the First Division South.
A team like Desert Nxau spends most of the time on the road and at the end of the day, the travels evidently take a toll.
That’s why you find them anchored at the bottom of the log and ultimately, they are relegated. Sankoyo became the first team from Maun to play in the Premier League but that joy was short-lived as the team accumulated a lot of mileage, with some round trips covering almost 2, 000km.
In a league constricted by a lack of resources, it becomes difficult for such teams to survive and compete effectively against sides mostly found on the southern tip. This cluster spends bare minimum for some away games. For instance, technically there is no away match in a game between UB Hawks and Notwane, while for Desert Nxau, the engine is always heating up every other week.
The majority of the teams in the Premier League are in or around Gaborone, which cushions clubs in terms of travel expenses. But it is not so for teams like Mbalakalungu and Desert Nxau in the First Division.
Teams from the Kgalagadi region always relegate from the First Division South and I doubt it has anything to do with lack of talent or performance. I believe it has everything to do with the tear and wear of the frequent travels .
It’s an issue that the Botswana Football Association, through its affiliates, should address. These are the pressing issues that need the attention of the leadership, not the aimless pig fights that have become the hallmark of the local game.
The authorities at Lekidi Football Centre should be brainstorming on how this glaring mismatch caused by distance could be addressed. There has to be a fair system in place, particularly for the lower division sides already barely surviving on a shoe-string budget.
If the powers that be think it’s well and fine to have some teams travel more than double the distance that their rivals do in a season, then at least there must be some financial compensation in place. Otherwise if the situation is allowed to prevail, it’s clearly creating an Animal Farm where the playing field is uneven.
The existing set-up favours teams in and around the capital city. The ones around Gaborone have mostly performance to worry about while those in far flung areas have to be concerned about performance plus the travel headaches.
Granted, it will be difficult to entirely level the field but at least there must be some concessions or safeguards to protect and cushion teams that spend more time on the road.