The former Pirates official appointed to head Botswana’s Premier League

After his huge success in Tanzania, South African football administrator Senzo Mbatha is excited about his new challenge as the CEO of the Botswana Premier League (BPL).

The former Orlando Pirates, Platinum Stars and Premier Soccer League (PSL) official has been tasked with leading the BPL to greater heights by improving its professionalism and attracting more sponsors.  

Mbatha left Tanzanian giants Young Africans, popularly known as Yanga, after a two-year stint as CEO in August last year. He held the same position from 2019 to 2020 at another big club in that country, Simba SC. 

“There was a project to be involved in the Sadc region, I think it’s called Zone East in Caf,” Mbatha told TimesLIVE about his appointment to head the BPL.  

“The discussions were delayed and took forever to finalise until the president of Botswana Football Federation [Maclean Letshwiti] asked if I could come and assist them in their professional league.  

“They long had a product they called the Premier League, which is the same name as the PSL, but that didn’t do well in terms of sponsorships in the long run,” he said.  

“They have established the new professional football body called the Botswana Premier League, like your NSL [National Soccer League].”  

Mbatha said the BPL was functioning well but admitted there was still much to be done to approach the level of other top leagues such as South Africa’s DStv Premiership.  

“They have been running the league, and it has been going very well, though they are struggling with sponsors here and there. But the association has been supporting them.  

“They have got first division and the Premier League doing quite well. Ninety percent of the games are on TV.

“There’s good coverage in terms of corporate support, but there’s still a lot that needs to be fixed in terms of governance, rules and regulations, transfer of players, licensing, manuals and things.  

“Also, the number-one priority is that the professionalism around the league needs to improve.”  

Mbatha enjoyed success as a club administrator, winning trophies with Pirates, Platinum Stars, Simba and Yanga.

He was administrative manager of Pirates from 2011 to 2013, including in the 2011-12 season, where Bucs won a second treble of trophies.

Under his leadership, Yanga won four titles, including the Tanzanian Premier League, and while he was with Simba, they won the league and Azam FA Cup.

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