Stranger things have happened in our football and with just over a month before the BFA General Assembly where David Fani will stand for re-election, everyone is anticipating his next move. Will he stand for re-election or will he just go quietly, or will he be brought back to the helm.
These are some of the questions that are on everyone’s lips. Fani has made it clear that he will stand for re-election and this latest blow will surely have a negative impact on his campaign. After much consternation, The BNSC announced last week that it will from now on withhold all funding to the BFA for National teams. The BNSC says that there has not been proper accounting of funds and the BFA has not been forthcoming with reports on how funds from the BNSC to the BFA have been used, despite the BNSC endlessly asking for such reports. An alarm was raised a few weeks ago when the BFA released a press statement stating that the National team account is P500 000 in the red. However, no report was made to show how that amount came to be.
The decision by the BNSC curtails much of Fani’s powers and greatly undermines the integrity of Fani himself and the association he leads. What power does he wield now, if he cannot even make any financial decisions? After such a humiliation and a massive show of no confidence on him, will David Fani stand for re-election? My guess is, he will. Despite all the goof – ups that have happened while at the helm, Fani has always ridden the waves of discontent and seems to take all the public criticism in his stride. He keeps a low profile and speaks only when necessary. His quiet and soft-spoken demeanor seems to be his greatest defense mechanism as he has mastered the art of avoiding confrontations, despite attacks from all angles. Through most of the controversial moments, while everyone was attacking his leadership, Fani has always flown under the radar, speaking only when necessary and staying away from confrontation.
Most Batswana have totally lost confidence in Fani and the BFA, but don’t be surprised if Fani stands for re-election and wins. The dynamics there are quite different. The delegates from the different BFA regional associations who vote at the BFA General Assembly might see things differently. They might know something we don’t know. But as I mentioned earlier, stranger things have happened in our football and the block voting that happens at these elections might just save Fani and bring him back for another term, although he is very unpopular with the general football loving Batswana. One just has to listen to radio call-in shows and check out social network sites to see just how unpopular Fani is. Most people feel that the BNSC made the right decision and for that Fani should do the honourable thing; resign and not stand for re-election. I for one feel that Fani should do the honourable thing and go, but I’m cautious. Surely what the BNSC did shows that they have totally lost confidence in him.
The negatives that have dominated Fani’s tenure far outweigh the positives. Even at our greatest ever achievement when we qualified for the AFCON Finals, our maiden appearance was made bitter sweet by the controversies that preceded our appearance at the Finals. We haven’t forgotten, and if most of us had our way, Fani would not be BFA President as we speak. I must however add that there have been positives in his tenure, although they are not easy to see and they are always outweighed by the negatives. Fani’s tenure has been dominated by blunder after blunder. Some of these blunders include, players sleeping in airports on a regular basis because of disorganized travel arrangements, players not having Visas, the national team not having a field to train on, players boycotting national team call – ups, the team not having a kit to play in, to the ever brewing issue of players welfare; the list is endless. Although he is not directly to blame for some of those; as the BFA president, the buck stops with him.
Last week’s announcement by the BNSC must have been sweet music to Fani’s detractors. The announcement could not have come at a worse time for Fani and at an opportune time for Tebogo Sebego and his camp. Yep, Sebego is the BFA Legal Advisor who is taking on Fani at the upcoming BFA General Assembly for the presidency. This latest development will surely be a campaign tool for Sebego. Mara, as he is fondly known in football circles, was once Fani's right hand man and they fought from the same corner. Not now though. They have been at parallels off late and the BNSC announcement might just have been a ‘check mate’ move for Sebego.
Everyone is wondering if this latest move by the BNSC might just be the final nail in David Fani’s coffin. Or will he against the odds, once again ride the wave of controversy and emerge a victor at the General Assembly? Only the delegates from the BFA Regions will decide come July. Afterall it is their votes that count, not our outspokenness against Fani in the media and social networking sites.
