15 Aug 2022

Francistown United have been crowned 2021/22 Jacaranda Women’s Football League champions.

Francistown United won P5 500, 20 gold medals and a floating trophy.

Runners up, Heritage Academy bagged P5 000 and 20 silver medals whilst Tutume Soccer Angels settled for third spot, going home P3 000 richer and 20 bronze medals.

Other remaining teams got consolidation monetary prizes of P1 000 each.

Jacaranda Private English Medium School sponsored the league to the tune of P80 000 with P40 000 for each season.

A total of P20 000 was dedicated to administration logistics whilst the rest of the money was spread amongst the 12 participating teams.

Speaking at the prize giving ceremony, Botswana Football Association (BFA) national executive committee (NEC) women representative, Lobito Ncube, called on the women national executive committee to realise the potential women football had in the advancement of football.

She, therefore, urged all to give women football the adequate support it deserves for the future development of women football.

To this end, Ncube appealed to various companies, individuals, the business community and other stakeholders to support football as a whole, because it was a taxing sport code

“I call upon various companies and any other interested parties to come on board to support football because it is a very expensive sport,” she added.

She said football was the only sport code with many pathways for referees, coaches, players, and managers amongst others.

Ncube further indicated that women football still had a long way to go because it was still at infancy stage as compared to other countries.

She said though women football was still developing in Botswana, it had some structures in place.

She said this was a welcome development looking at the fact that all along there had been perception that football was only for men.

“But the fact of the matter is that anyone can play football despite their gender,” she added.

Francistown Regional Football Association (FRAFA) chairperson, Fanyana Fish, said women football had been neglected for quite a long time.

He said the number of women football teams in the FRAFA was increasing, adding from the look of things, the number was likely to increase in the next season.

Fish, therefore, called on BFA to to increase the funds allocated for the women football league.

He commended Jacaranda for sponsoring the women football league for the 2021/2022 season, trusting that the marriage will go a long way.

A member of the FRAFA women’s committee, Benjamin Temogo told the ceremony that women football in Botswana was faced with a lot of challenges.

She said lack of football or playing grounds continued to be a challenge and that women teams were forced to leave playing fields whenever their male counterparts came for practice.

She added that they have never been allowed to use the old Francistown stadium nor the new Obed Itani Chilume stadium for their past seasons, something which she deemed not fair.

She said lack of referees was a also a challenge in the past season, where they were forced to use unaccredited referees in some instances, which is against the football regulations.

Temogo said most of the professional referees refused to assist because they have not been paid their first season allowances.

She said another teething challenge was lack of football equipment such as soccer balls, kit and soccer boots, amongst others.

In addition, Temogo, lambasted FRAFA for having not been supportive towards the women football in the past playing season adding that this did not sit well with women teams.

Jacaranda School Head, Kayita Tonny said the sponsorship by his school was a testimony that women football was equally significant as men football.

Though he could not promise if the school would sponsor the league in the next season, Tonny however, said the marriage was a long lasting one.

He also called on other companies, the business community and individuals to support women football in the country. ENDS