CASH CURSE Township Rollers’ Sponsorship Joy Overshadowed by FIFA Storm
Township Rollers’ troubles are back in the spotlight, and this time the timing is raising eyebrows.
Just weeks after the club proudly unveiled sponsorship deals worth a staggering P7 million per season, the local football fraternity is stunned to see old debts from four different individuals, including a coach, suddenly surfacing and being quickly taken to FIFA.
Former Orlando Pirates winger Thabo Rakhale is preparing to drag the local football giants before FIFA over unpaid wages. The 36‑year‑old, who joined Rollers to revive his career, is now sidelined with a torn Achilles tendon and claims the club failed to cover his medical care. His representatives, the Football Union of South Africa (FUSA), say Rollers ignored hospital advice and left the player to fend for himself.
“We sent a letter of demand to the club, giving them 10 days to resolve the issue. If they fail, we’ll take the matter to FIFA,” FUSA’s secretary‑general Taelo Motloung told Kick Off Online magazine in South Africa.
But Rakhale is not alone. Reports suggest that another South African, Thabiso Mokoekoane, former head coach Aziz Karkache, and Congo’s striker Wafuna Djo Ntwambwe have also taken Rollers to FIFA over unpaid dues.
For Rollers fans, this is another bitter pill. The club has already lost key names, including long‑serving goalkeeper Kabelo Dambe, who signed for Extension Gunners earlier this month as financial strains forced a reshuffle.
Rollers have been trimming their wage bill, a move that has affected the depth and vitality of their squad. Yet, it is not all doom and gloom. In recent weeks, secured sponsorships with a commercial value worth P7 million per season, made of P2 million per season by local company Hope Tee Energy; Italian sportswear giants, Diadora, who contribute P4 million per season through their five-year technical partnership, whilst Bet267 contributes P1 million per season. Together, these deals amount to a lifeline meant to steady the ship and rebuild credibility.
But now, with disputes spilling into FIFA corridors, the question is being whispered in football circles: Could this sudden flood of claims be triggered by the sight of fresh money flowing into Rollers?
The balancing act between off‑field recovery and on‑field competitiveness remains delicate. Rollers’ image as Botswana’s “glamour club” is under pressure, with fans frustrated, bruised by exits, and uncertain about performances.
Township Rollers, once the undisputed powerhouse of Botswana football, now find themselves juggling player disputes, financial restructuring, and the urgent need to restore faith among supporters. Whether FIFA steps in or not, the saga brings attention to the fragile state of one of the country’s most storied sporting brands; a club caught between its proud legacy and the realities of modern football economics.
PULA24 SAYS:
The Rollers saga is more than just a contractual dispute; it is a mirror reflecting the financial strain facing local clubs. When administrative lapses reach FIFA’s corridors, they tarnish not only a team’s reputation but also the image of Botswana football. The irony is striking: just as Rollers secure millions in sponsorships, old debts resurface. Sustainable management, transparency, and player welfare must become the new playbook if Rollers — and the sport at large — are to reclaim their former glory. We place trust in the new leadership of Fish Pabalinga to ensure such legacy‑tarnishing lapses of the past Rollers administration become a thing of history.
