25 Oct 2022

The Botswana-Namibia AFCON 2027 bid committee (BONA2027) continues to engage stakeholders. 

Last week, the committee was in Francistown, as a potential host city, to apprise the city leadership of the journey thus far.

BONA 2027 chairperson, Ashford Mamelodi, said in an interview that their Francistown engagement followed visits to other local authorities of potential host areas including Lobatse, Gaborone and Maun.

Mamelodi said they also made them aware of the planned facilities audit and to request them, through relevant offices, to be on hand to assist where necessary during the audit.

He said it was important that they visited all potential host areas so that leaders were informed and could also start mobilising Batswana about the possibility of Botswana and Namibia hosting this mammoth event.

He said the Francistown meeting was informed that as a likely host, the city must assist in not only pointing out the official city match venue, Obed Itani Chilume Stadium, but also identifying training fields, including those that were still under construction or were to be built.

Mamelodi said he was happy that the Francistown district commissioner, Chabongwa Matseka, had informed them of the city’s readiness to assist as required and that the residents and leadership were also looking forward to welcoming visitors in 2027, should the joint bid succeed. He said the city clerk, Lopang Pule, had advised the bid committee to also present to the full sitting of the council for councillors to be fully informed.

“The city clerk also recommended that the bid committee should work hard on communicating activities around the bid as this would assist in rallying support of the people of Francistown and neighbouring villages,” he said. 

Mamelodi also echoed advise that the BFA should start building a national team that would be ready to compete at AFCON in 2027. Ends