Zwane, Morena and Rayners in Sundowns Squad for Botswana Tournament

South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns have landed in Francistown ahead of their participation in the Morupule Charity Spectacular, set for this Friday at the Francistown Sports Complex in Botswana.

The annual event will feature a four-team tournament aimed at raising funds for community development projects. Alongside Sundowns, the competition includes hosts Morupule FC, Francistown giants TAFIC FC, and Sua Flamingoes, promising an exciting mix of talent and entertainment for fans.

What can fans expect?

Tournament director Bernard Mamelodi says that while the event is for charity, supporters should brace themselves for high-quality football.

“Like we said, it’s a charity match. Admission will be P100 for the grandstand and P50 elsewhere. All the proceeds will go to charity, which will be subject to a separate event we will do with Sundowns on Saturday the 13th at Palapye,” said Mamelodi.

He explained that the charity drive is aimed at bringing festive cheer to families in need:

“We are in the festive season and there are a lot of families and individuals who will go through it without the festive cheer because they either don’t have food or clothes. Beneficiaries have been identified in and around Palapye, and it will be during the Saturday event that all the donations will be issued out.”

Strong Squads Expected

Mamelodi emphasized that all four teams are taking the tournament seriously:

“All the four teams, especially Sundowns, are taking this tournament seriously. Sundowns have brought their strongest available squad and all three local teams are also bringing their best squads. All three local teams have been very competitive in the local league so far this season.”

Sundowns’ squad includes several big names, notably the trio recently dropped from Bafana Bafana’s AFCON 2025 squad due to fitness concerns or lack of game time: Themba Zwane, Thapelo Morena, and Iqraam Rayners, along with promising youngster Malibongwe Khoza. Their presence underlines the Brazilians’ intent to treat the tournament as a serious test ahead of a busy domestic and continental schedule.

The Morupule Charity Spectacular is more than just football, it’s a celebration of sport and community spirit. Proceeds from the event will go toward charitable initiatives in Botswana, reinforcing the tournament’s role in social upliftment.

Kick-off for the opening match is scheduled for Friday morning, with the final set to take place later in the evening.

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