TAFIC, Rollers face stern test in Tati River cup

The two sleeping giants face almost identical challenges ahead of the new season with their loyal fans eager to know what they have been up to in the off season.Both sides have been facing mass exodus of players due to financial challenges. TAFIC’s financial troubles started following the end of a contract with previous investors, Petro Hyper. Rollers on the other hand, have been struggling to meet contractual obligations for many of their players last season, which has led to the departure of more than a dozen players. They have also been unable to bring in new players as a result of the pending sanctions from FIFA over unpaid wages to their former head coach, Abdelaziz Karkache. The latest departure involves long serving captains, Simisane Mathumo and Kabelo Dambe, who bid farewell to the club. Namibian international, Marcel Papama will now take the leading role in the team along side promising youngsters in the likes of Phillip Kaku.Despite losing key players, both TAFIC and Rollers have not folded their arms with the Francistown side the first to hold trials for aspiring professional players at the end of last season. Rollers followed suit a few weeks back as they look to rebuild for the coming season. The Tati River cup presents a perfect opportunity for both sides to check the true strength of their squads. They have both been involved in some friendly pre-season matches with TAFIC going down 1-0 to Orapa in the final of the Bet267 Charity spectacular. Rollers on other hand were also involved in a pre-season match against Dinare FC, a game they lost 2-1.They however face stern tests against ambitious side, Tonota FC and Zambian giants, Nkana FC. The one-day tournament kicks off at 10am with a match between TAFIC and Nkana FC. Rollers and Tonota FC will face off in the other semi final four hours later to determine the finalists. The losers final will be played at 6pm whilst the final kicks off at 8pm. There will also be a match between Strong Boys & Ladies United against Tonota FC Ladies. Mosetse FC will also have a date with Tutume Rangers as part of the activities for the day.During its launch last month, the inaugural tournament had only the HSNV group of companies as the sponsors. The event has now confirmed over 10 other partners to date with the likes of Botswana Tourism, Bet267, Cresta Hotels and Orange Botswana coming on board. The organisers have also confirmed that giant television sports channel, Supersport will broadcast the matches live, marking a milestone for the event. Tickets for the tournament are selling at P100 (Grand Stand), P70 (Panda), P50 (North/South stands).