27 Feb 2023

Botswana Football Association’s (BFA) priorities include nationalizing women football given the sport’s prospect of growing.
The decision was taken because women football was growing, evidenced by the number of teams that grew from 66 last year to 136 this year.

BFA chief executive officer, Mfolo Mfolo said this when addressing the media in Francistown on Saturday.

In addition, the CEO told journalists that the number of women players has increased from 2 045 last year to 3 064 this year, something he said was a commendable achievement.

He said BFA was committed to changing the perception that football was only for men, saying Botswana was one of the few countries that had developed women football worldwide.
Mfolo said BFA had developed a women football strategy aimed at taking the women football to greater heights.

He explained that it was against this backdrop that the international football governing body, FIFA, was using Botswana to pilot the women football strategy.
He said in the strategy, Botswana had set out its own four pillars in developing the strategy, one being that of changing perceptions about women football.   
Mfolo said the perception that football was a men’s sport discriminated against women and had no bearing in this era.

Mfolo extended his gratitude to DTC Botswana to have partnered with BFA in sponsoring some of the women football teams across the country.
He explained that DTC Botswana had pledged to provide mobilisation fee for only 66 teams while the rest would be sponsored by BFA itself.

He also told journalists that BFA was embarking on establishing three grassroots centres for women football in Jwaneng, Selebi Phikwe and Francistown.
Mfolo stated that other earmarked centres would be in Tsabong and Shakawe while going forward Kang, Maun and Mahalapye would be included.

He said BFA’s desire was to witness women football coaches being adequately trained to ultimately hold the CAF “A” licenses, adding that a CAF “A” training license was scheduled for 21 women coaches in 2023/2024 season.
He commended Jwaneng Galaxy and other few teams for having coaches with CAF “B” licenses, urging other women teams to follow suite.
Mfolo said BFA was working round the clock to ensure that the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium was in a state to host the return AFCON game between the Zebras and Equatorial Guinea next month.

The CEO said BFA was optimistic that the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium, which was grey listed by CAF, would be given a go-ahead to host the game, saying, however, if not, BFA had other alternatives.
“We have friends in our region such as Zambia and South Africa whom we can approach to host the visitors,” he said.

BFA President, Maclean Letshwiti said football as a product of the people, gave them a responsibility to grow the sport in the country.
Letshwiti was of the view that certain media houses had a wrong perception about BFA and perhaps that was the reason why they always reported negatively about its activities.
The president said as Botswana was expected to co-host the 2027 AFCON Cup with Namibia, media houses should write positive stories about the association in order to change the landscape of football in Botswana.
Letshwiti said one of BFA priorities included football infrastructural development countrywide, which he admitted were not conducive for the growth of football.

He said BFA’s intention was to build such football infrastructure in Mahalapye, a big catchment area and further develop another football development centre in Radisele for grassroots development.
He disclosed that one of his priorities was to commercialise and professionalise football in Botswana, which would create jobs for young Batswana.
Welcoming the attendants earlier, BFA second Vice President Maokaneng Bontshetse said the purpose of the media conference by BFA leadership was meant to take football to the people.

The media was also briefed on football governance, which encompasses Play Rules and Regulations , maintenance of teams and regulations in the status of transfer of players, which regard to issues of compliance.
The delegation visited Obed Itani Chilume Stadium, FRAFA plot behind Obed Itani Chilume Stadium, and had a chance to watch FRAFA women teams playing at the Old Francistown Stadium.  Ends