24 Oct 2022

New Kweneng Regional Football Association (KRFA) chairperson, Vincent Mafuta, has pledged to unite warring factions with the aim to grow the sport. 

Mafuta, who is VTM Football Club chairperson and founder, inched past his closest rival and immediate past chairperson, Lekgotla Raditloko by five votes in a closely contested poll over the weekend. 

He garnered 48 votes against Raditloko’s 43 to assume the chairmanship.

In his acceptance speech, Mafuta encouraged stakeholders in Kweneng region to join hands for growth of football.

He promised to tap into the expertise of the past committee for guidance and would further implore an open door policy, saying ‘I will be available for football matters throughout.’ 

On one hand, Nonofo Latiwa and Kabo Lesole were roped in as new ordinary members. 

Latiwa, for her part, said she would work round the clock to resuscitate women football in the region. 

She said Kweneng region was lagging behind in terms of women football development despite its wide area. 

She, therefore, encouraged other women to come on board to support her ideas as women football in Botswana currently was a low lying fruit.

She said she had come a long way in football administration and hoped for positive results.

In his remarks, Botswana Football Association (BFA) chief executive officer, Mfolo Mfolo urged delegates to take regional football matters seriously as the regions were the nerve centres of developing the sport in the country. 

Mfolo said football structures, youth league, women football and school sport all depended on the success of regional associations.

He urged them to market their teams and fulfil the commercial aspect of game for investors to take keen interest in football matters. 

On stakeholder management, Mfolo encouraged delegates to take on board local authorities, adding ‘it is the duty of the mother body BFA to support such initiatives.’

Meanwhile, the KRFA elections were schedule to take place last weekend, but were postponed after delegates raised complaints about irregularities on the voters roll.

The delegates had argued that not all team representatives’ names were included in the voters roll and those contesting for election were not classified by the teams they represented, but rather only names and identity card names were visible. Ends