Gaborone derby unpacked

All sports rivalries have their beginnings; a match or moment that sparks decades and long battles for bragging rights between rival supporters.For Gaborone rivals, Gaborone United (GU) and Township Rollers, the rivalry dates back to the mid-1970s when clashes on the pitch featured the likes of Boniface ‘Wonder’ Tape, Nicolas ‘Lele’ Sebele, Thomas ‘Zero’ Johnson and Horatio ‘Chipa’ Mahloane for GU. Rollers, however fielded their own galaxy of stars including Mulalu ‘Walktall’ Molalu, Morwalela ‘Pro’ Seema, Clement ‘Muller’ Muthelesi, Thomas Morobane, Freddie Modise and Topito Masheleng, among others.In years gone by, the thrill of the Gaborone derby was not confined to the capital city alone. It captured the imagination of football fans across the country as the blue-collar pride of Rollers clashed with the red empire swagger of United.

The rivalry stood the test of time, even through the 1990s era, when players such as Desmond Molefhe, Mmoni ‘States’ Segopolo, Aaron ‘Route 4’ Radira and Thabo ‘Mahala’ Motang represented the blue side of Rollers, while United fielded the likes of Marco Chuma, Patrick ‘Zee’ Zibochwa and Rapelang ‘Razor’ Tsatsilebe. There were also memorable man-to-man battles between Joseph ‘Big Joe’ Chikoti and Lepholetha ‘City’ Senne. In the days leading to the derby, families were often divided by the colours of the teams they supported.

Taxi and bus ranks turned into centres of football debate as fans from both camps taunted each other, while the buzz of anticipation spread throughout Gaborone. Those were the days when the derby epitomised a battle for pride and bragging rights, characterised by blood, sweat and tears on the football pitch. Fast forward to recent years and that version of the derby feels like something from the history books.

[paywall]

The encounter has become a shadow of its former self, with some observers arguing that it has lost much of its allure and is struggling to regain the intensity and appeal it once had. When GU and Rollers meet again on Saturday at the GU Stadium, the stakes will be different due to the absence of the electric atmosphere that once defined the encounter. From the pulsating build-ups among supporters to the bone-crunching tackles on the field, the Gaborone derby has in many ways been reduced to just another league fixture with a famous name.

Despite this decline, Saturday’s match will still be a defining moment for the city rivals, who have experienced contrasting fortunes in recent years. While still regarded as a fierce rivalry by many fans, the gap between the two sides has widened. GU have dominated honours over the past five years, while the downfall of their cross-city rivals has been well documented.

[/paywall]