Tafic likely to use Francistown Sports Complex

BONGANI MALUNGA

Newly promoted Francistown outfit TAFIC Sporting Club could be in line to register the Francistown Sports Complex as their official home ground next season. The stadium has been used to stage national team games as well as Mascom Top 8 Finals since being officially opened in 2015.
Township Rollers have also used the stadium for a handful of BTC Premiership games as well but TAFIC could be named as the official home team for the 2017/2018 season. TAFIC will be the only Francistown representative in the league next season and they are widely tipped to use the 26 000 capacity stadium.
TAFIC will be invited to the Botswana Premier League Annual General Assembly during the off season after gaining promotion to the top tier of local football, they would be required to submit a formal expression of interest if they want to register the Francistown Sports Complex as their home ground.
A Botswana Football Association told Gazette Sport that the club could use the stadium, provided they are interested in making the move. “Teams will be discussing tentative home venues for the 2017/2018 season at the BPL AGM, that will be the opportunity for all clubs to register the venues they prefer as their home grounds. TAFIC would have to put it in writing, after that the BFA will engage the Botswana National Sports Commission to finalize everything,” said the BFA official.
The BFA representative also stated that the fact that Francistown has been starved of a representative in the main league could help in terms of drawing large crowds to the stadium, he cited the near capacity attendance of national team games and Mascom Top 8 games as examples.
“The euphoria of TAFIC reaching the BTC Premiership will be a huge draw for the Francistown crowd, Mascom Top 8 and Zebras games have demonstrated that the city adores football,” the official concluded.
TAFIC gained promotion to the elite league by virtue of winning the First Division North title, ending a three year absence from the league. The club will be eager to erase memories of the ill fated 2013/2014 campaign were they ended rock bottom of the league with only six wins.