Super League giants Nkana will travel to Botswana for a pre-season training camp as part of preparations for the 2026/27 season and the Transitional League campaign.
Following an initial local training camp, Elijah Tana’s squad will head to Francistown at the end of July, where they will participate in the inaugural Tati River Cup at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium.
The one-day tournament will take place on Saturday, August 8, with matches running from 10h00 to 18h00.
Nkana will compete alongside Botswana Premier League sides Tonota FC, Township Rollers and Tafic Sporting Club.
The Botswana camp forms a key part of the club’s pre-season programme. In addition to the Tati River Cup, Nkana will play friendly matches on August 1 and August 5, with full details of both fixtures to be announced.
Speaking at the official launch of the tournament at the Grand Palm Hotel in Gaborone, Nkana FC Chief Executive Officer Mwansa Kapyanga welcomed the opportunity to be part of the inaugural competition.
The launch was attended by Francistown Mayor Gaone Elijah Majere and Botswana Football Association Second Vice-President Tico Kamati, among other guests.
“We are humbled as Nkana Football Club to be part of the Tati River Cup. We do not take such opportunities for granted considering what we want to achieve as a club,” Kapyanga said.
“We have enjoyed success, including winning our last league title in 2020, but we have to sustain those standards, and one way of doing that is by taking part in initiatives such as this.”
He added: “We are grateful to the sponsors HSNV Group of Companies and everyone involved in organising the tournament. It is clear this will be much more than a friendly tournament because every team will want to win.
“At Nkana FC, even our supporters do not believe in friendly games. Whenever we take to the pitch, we are expected to compete and win, so we anticipate an exciting day of football.”
Kapyanga said he hoped the partnership would be mutually beneficial and that the clubs would continue working together for many years.
“We have great respect for all the participating clubs. Tonota FC, Tafic Sporting Club and Township Rollers are all quality sides with their own ambitions, and we look forward to competing against them.”
