The untold AFCON bid story

Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday October 7, 2014 12:13

AFCON BID TEAM

Mmegi Sport came across a comprehensive bid document detailing how the BFA intended to put together a winning plan, which was to be presented to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

In the more than 100-page document, the BFA had identified a team to work with, and support the bid, and outlines how Botswana intended to host the 2017 continental soccer showpiece. It outlines the importance of hosting the event just months after the country reaches its 50th year of independence.

BFA president, Tebogo Sebego last week told Mmegi Sport their focus was on hosting regional events before considering the AFCON finals years later. But the bid document provides fresh evidence that the association was preparing to host the 2017 finals.

Mmegi Sport came across a comprehensive bid document detailing how the BFA intended to put together a winning plan, which was to be presented to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).In the more than 100-page document, the BFA had identified a team to work with, and support the bid, and outlines how Botswana intended to host the 2017 continental soccer showpiece. It outlines the importance of hosting the event just months after the country reaches its 50th year of independence.BFA president, Tebogo Sebego last week told Mmegi Sport their focus was on hosting regional events before considering the AFCON finals years later. But the bid document provides fresh evidence that the association was preparing to host the 2017 finals.

While media was awash with reports that Zimbabwe was the preferred co-host, the bid document sidelines the economically troubled country. It is stated that the northern neighbour has not hosted any significant CAF competition. Botswana instead preferred a co-bid with South Africa and Namibia. One BFA executive member has been identified as behind the bid document which failed to receive endorsement from other officials. Time constraints are believed to have forced the BFA to abandon its bid as it was clear the government was going to reject the massive project due to prohibitive costs.

In the document, five pages are dedicated to a detailed budget, which would have seen the country spend nearly P400 million on the biennial competition. The returns were however, estimated to be meagre at P61 million.The theme for the 2017 event was going to be ‘Botswana welcoming Africa and the World’. Tuelo Serufho was expected to head the bid advisory team as its chief executive officer, while the bid team had Sebego, his deputy at BFA, Tariq Babitseng and Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC), Solly Reikeletseng.

Current and former sports stars, Diphetogo Selolwane, Joel Mogorosi and Mogakolodi ‘Tsotso’ Ngele are mentioned as bid ambassadors while President Ian Khama and the acting Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, Vincent Seretse appear as bid stakeholders.