The Mascom Top 8 Cup is a football cup competition in Botswana. It was created in 2012, and features the top eight finishers from the Botswana Premier League.BPL Mascom Top 8 Cup , Botswana Premier LeagueMascom Top 8 Tournament Rules and Regulations , Botswana Premier LeagueClash of titans as Mascom Top 8 gets underway , Botswana Daily News
Since 2013, the winners qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup, as the FA Challenge Cup is not played. This was stopped in 2019 with the return of the FA Cup.
Format The Mascom Top 8 Cup is played by the top eight finishers from the previous season of the Premier League. The quarter-finals and semi-finals are played as two-legged ties both home and away, with a once-off final. In the case where the scores are tied after the two-legged ties, the Away goals rule will apply to decide the winner. However, this rule only applies in the first 90 minutes. If the aggregate score and the away goals scored are level after the 90 minutes of the 2nd leg, the teams will proceed to extra time and the Away goals rule will be disregarded thereafter. This means that if the aggregate score is still tied after extra time, the match will proceed to a penalty shoot-out regardless of the away goals scored in that 30 minutes.
This slight deviation from the standard Away goals rule led to controversy in the semi-final of the 2018–19 Mascom Top 8 Gaborone Derby clash between bitter rivals Township Rollers and Gaborone United. Rollers had won the 1st leg 2–0 away. In the 2nd leg, United also won 2–0 away, meaning the match would then proceed to extra time with the 2-2 aggregate score and Away goals rule would not apply then. In extra time, Rollers pulled one back before a late United penalty restored their 2-goal advantage to finish the match at 3-1 (aggregate 3-3). At the end of extra time, Rollers fans and players prematurely celebrated as they thought they were through to the final on away goals. After a delay and reference to the rules of the competition, the penalty shoot-out was eventually played to a mostly empty National Stadium as most of the fans had left, oblivious to what was transpiring on the field of play.
Gaborone United won the shoot-out 10-9 and proceeded to the final where they'd suffer a 0–2 defeat to Jwaneng Galaxy.
Past finals 2011/12: Township Rollers 3-1 ECCO City GreensBotswana 2011/12, RSSSF.comRollers wins Mascom Top8, Township RollersTownship Rollers bag Mascom Top 8, BizTechAfrica 2012/13: Gaborone United 2-1 Botswana Defence ForceBotswana 2012/13, RSSSF.comTHE REDS CROWNED MASCOM TOP 8 CHAMPIONS , Gaborone UnitedGaborone United walk away with P1m , Botswana Daily News 2013/14: Botswana Defence Force XI 1-1 (aet; 5-4 pen.) Township RollersBDF XI are champs , Botswana Daily News 2014/15: Gaborone United 2-1 Township RollersGaborone United win Mascom top 8 2015/16: Orapa United 3-1 (aet) Township RollersOrapa stun Rollers to lift Mascom Top 8 Cup 2016/17: Jwaneng Galaxy 4-3 (aet) Orapa UnitedSesinyi-Inspired Galaxy Sweep Ostriches 2017/18: Township Rollers 4-2 Orapa UnitedTownship Rollers claim Mascom Top 8 glory 2018/19: Gaborone United 0-2 Jwaneng Galaxy 2019/20:Orapa United 1-1 (aet; 4-3 pen.) Township Rollers 2020/21: Cancelled 2021/22: Cancelled
Results by team +Results by team Club Wins First final won Last final won Runners up Last final lost Total final appearances Township Rollers220122018420206 Gaborone United220132015120193 Jwaneng Galaxy220172019––2 Orapa United220162020220184 BDF XI120142014120132 Francistown City Greens–––120121
Manager records Season Winner Manager 2011–12 Township Rollers Mike Sithole 2012–13 Gaborone United David Bright 2013–14 BDF XI Elijah Chikwanda 2014–15 Gaborone United Rahman Gumbo 2015–16 Orapa United Madinda Ndlovu 2016–17 Jwaneng Galaxy Mike Sithole 2017–18 Township Rollers Nikola Kavazovic 2018–19 Jwaneng Galaxy Miguel da Costa 2019–20 Orapa United Mogomotsi Mpote
References
External links Official webpage of BPL Mascom Top 8 Cup, Botswana Premier League 2014/15 Mascom Top 8, Botswana Premier League