Sound logistics needed for season clincher

| Friday July 24, 2009 00:00

The intensity of the race to the league title, coupled with the prize involved, will transform Molepolole into a frenzied and tumultuous centre-stage of diehard fans come to witness warriors of - until then - equal wizardry and might.

It is fitting, then, to reflect on the state of top-level football in our country. be Mobile needs to be congratulated on its substantial sponsorship of the league which has been happily matched by a marked improvement in the level of our football. It proves that with better sponsorship, competitiveness improves, and the level of the game follows suit. The fans have also shown renewed interest in their teams.

However, the shoddy way in which the scheduling of stadium re-development was done remains as a blot on an otherwise successful season. So does administration, which needs to be revamped at both club and national levels. The endless squabbling between clubs about players that has characterised this new league should come to an end. Clubs should have the interests of their players at heart. Otherwise these problems could derail the love of the game, which is the issue under discussion here.  

The record number of fans anticipated for tomorrow's game requires sound logistics of crowd control to ensure that the thrill of the day is not eroded. These logistics require the involvement of diverse stakeholders of different responsibilities whose common nexus will be to deliver a high-class, safe and memorable soccer spectacular tomorrow. These stakeholders include the administrators of Gaborone United and Mochudi Centre Chiefs, the Premier League Committee, the Botswana Police Service, the Kweneng District Council and the media.

While we appreciate that now is not the time to pontificate, we believe that many loopholes have often been detected at a dress rehearsal on the eve of a grand finale. For tomorrow's game is an opportunity to showcase the level of maturity that our football has attained in all realms, including competitiveness and the handling of high-stakes contests. At another level, South Africa has just done that with the success of the recent Confederations Cup.

The successful handling of tomorrow's clash of the titans should result in enticing more support from the corporate world. Sponsors are naturally unwilling to commit money or tie their image to contests that easily degenerate into chaos and violence owing to poor planning and inadequate logistics. May the beautiful game carry the day tomorrow!

                                                         Today's thought

'I was always taught as a kid if you do something, do it right. If not, go do something else. For me, soccer was life.'

                                                      - Marcelo Balboa