The irony is that the tiny oil-rich country had been disqualified from the tournament for using an ineligible player. I applaud Equatorial Guinea because they agreed to replace Morocco despite a very short notice. And unlike 2012, they will not be co-hosting. In Botswana, it takes at least six years to construct a new stadium or to renovate one. Botswana has consistently spurned opportunities to build world class or internationally accepted stadia that could give the country a competitive advantage in bidding for hosting rights.
Instead countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea have stolen the thunder and no wonder, they have a lot of their nationals plying their trade in Europe and bringing in much-needed foreign cash. The political will and foresight is still lacking in Botswana to the detriment of the overall growth of the game. Botswana has enough money to host and build first class stadia if we get our priorities right.
