15 Jun 2023

 Botswana Football Association (BFA) women’s football manager, Tsholofelo Sethoko, will address FIFA second edition of the Women’s Football Convention scheduled for Sydney, Australia in August. 

As the guest speaker, she will share with the world how women football in Botswana has made strides.

A total of 211 representatives from FIFA member associations are expected at the convention, where Sethoko will share her invaluable knowledge and experience. 

The convention will discuss, among other issues, women’s football strategy launched in 2018 in line with the organisation’s overall strategic road map to grow the game, protect its integrity and avail it to all.

Through this strategy, FIFA made a commitment to harness the power of football to achieve positive social impact. 

Other overarching topics, the two-day convention will discuss the development and growth, showcase the game, communicate and commercialise, govern and lead as well as educating and empowering.

Sethoko said in an interview that this year’s convention was set to be the biggest women sporting event in the world. 

She said it would be attended by all women football leaders across the world to discuss the development of the game. 

“We will also be inspiring each other, share our challenges and discuss how we can go about in ensuring that women’s football grow and flourish,” he said. She said for her to be invited as a guest speaker at the big event was an honour to her and the association.

Talking to the FIFA 2018 strategy, Sethoko said Botswana was amongst countries that crafted own strategy, but in line with the FIFA one, which was also approved by the world’s football governing body. 

“I think having our strategy in place has assisted us. It is our guiding tool in our quest to grow women’s football,” she said.

She said some of the pillars in their strategy which talked to coaching and capacity building, grassroots and player’s development, structure and administration and changing perception aligned well with FIFA strategy, and therefore was confided that they would help in development of a girl child.

In Botswana, she said they made positive movements in women’s football, therefore the invitation to address the convention was a clear indication that the world was now recognising the impact done by Botswana.

While in Australia Sethoko will also attend the FIFA women’s World Cup final game, adding that she was happy the organisation was being bold and intentional in sending a statement to develop women’s football looking at all new development they had been doing.

“As we speak right now, FIFA has managed to sell around over one million tickets for different world cup games, that alone is history in the making to have such big numbers attending women’s football games,” he said. ENDS