Kgathi�s position disappointing

Dennis Keagile | Friday June 27, 2014 15:47

I must say I am very much disappointed and surprised with the angle the acting Minister of Presidential Affairs, Shaw Kgathi has taken. Kgathi knows in his heart that he is not being sincere with some of his accusations.

A few years ago, he was live on Radio Botswana defending the government’s position and throwing a few jabs at the BFA on the same issue. Even then BFA president, David Fani rebutted Kgathi’s assertion and stopped short of calling him dishonest.

Ever since its inception, the constituency league has always been a kind of nuisance to the overall development of football in the country. I am appealing to everybody to put the interest of the country first. We need people who are sober and objective about the matter.

The amount of money invested in the constituency competition can do a lot in fighting the ills of society.

The advent of the constituency tournament coincided with the reduction of alcohol trading hours either for bars or night clubs. It looks like government wanted to close that space created by the policy directive on alcohol trading hours.

The FIFA directive, while it sounds non-confrontational and constructive should be taken seriously and be treated with the urgency it deserves. Cheap politicking on the issue will not solve the problem.

 What I expect is for all the stakeholders to sit around the table and chart the way forward on the matter. No amount of propaganda no matter how good, can solve the problem.  Surely, we cannot have two parallel structures running the game of football in the country.  What I do appreciate though about the constituency league is the fact that somehow, it has managed to take the space that should have been occupied by regional football, although this can still be argued otherwise. My appeal therefore goes directly to Shaw Kgathi to rise above petty politics and be the man or person I know him to be. He holds the key to this saga.  He is fortunately in a very powerful position to influence government thinking, especially the Office of the President. If he becomes intransigent, the problem could take long to solve with disastrous consequences. Kgathi holds the key because he enjoys the President’s trust and confidence.  The BFA and the Botswana National Sports Council have to dig deep into their pool of influence.

When this tournament was introduced, both the two bodies were scared to confront the Office of the President, especially the BNSC. The irony is that President Ian Khama is a patron of the BFA, so one would expect that the matter should have long be settled.

 

World Cup

Expectations were high that the World Cup hosted in Brazil, a country some hail as the best in soccer, would be nothing, but pure excitement. And, indeed Brazil 2014 thus far has produced surprises and lots of entertainment.

The best thing about this World Cup is its unpredictability.

No one knows who will be crowned champions come July 13. The South and North American teams have put up a good show. The biggest surprise is Costa Rica who beat both Italy and Uruguay to top its group.

The Asian continent has failed to send a team to the last 16. For Africa, the dispute over bonuses is rearing its ugly head again. Cameroon’s build-up to the tournament was marred by a fight over bonuses, while the Black Stars of Ghana who are also out demanded their dues in cash this week.

This is quite embarrassing and undignified. Whenever it suits politicians, they somehow find money to pay bonuses, but when it does not suit them, they do not do anything.  Take the case of Botswana. Before the Zebras match against South Africa in the World Cup qualifiers, the government out of the blue, announced hefty bonuses for a win. In my experience, last minute announcement of hefty bonuses to players do not work. Instead, it confuses players or put them under unnecessary pressure.

This week, Ivory Coast President Alassan Quattra promised to double the bonuses of players if they beat Greece and qualify for the second round in the World Cup.They lost the game and are out of the competition.

 This should have been in place right from the onset and not as a last minute announcement. Football associations ought to put their houses in order and so should the government.

Government ought to invest heavily in sport as an alternative for employment creation and export of skill. And with the second round for the 2015 AFCON around the corner, the BFA must not leave any stone unturned.