International company keen on setting up soccer academy

Staff Writer | Tuesday October 4, 2016 14:37

Bakang Kenaope (Red) of Marang JSS against Kago Mosalagae during Copa Coca Cola competitions.PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE

The company showed interest during the CAF ordinary general meeting held in Cairo this past week where BFA president, Maclean Letshwiti and secretary general, Kitso Kemoeng were in attendance.

The company representatives met BFA representatives on the sidelines of the meeting in which Kemoeng and Letshwiti engaged with other stakeholders on the growth and development of football in Botswana. The statement also revealed that the company intends to link the proposed academy to an international academy that it has in Switzerland.

“Further engagements on this matter shall be in the form of a visit by the company to Botswana to have a first-hand appreciation of the BFA and the country’s football vision.

As part of the visit, the company intends to also hold meetings with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development and other relevant stakeholders to appreciate their (stakeholders) role in the establishment of a fully-fledged football academy in the country,” Kemoeng said in a statement.

He said since it was the Botswana delegation’s first CAF General Assembly, the duo embarked on a variety of meetings with their counterparts to have a full feel of issues at various international structures. He said they also separately met key officials of bodies such as COSAFA, CAF and FIFA to appreciate how Botswana could optimally benefit from their various programmes to enhance the development and growth of football in the country.

“Following an engagement with the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino and his newly appointed secretary general, Fatima Samoura, the Botswana delegation was invited to visit the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, for further engagements and a more detailed induction on FIFA programmes and projects for the benefit of Botswana football,” Kemoeng said.

Meanwhile at the same assembly, there was an election of two African additional members to the FIFA Council for the transitory period from September 30 to March next year.

Almamy Camara (the second vice president of CAF) from Guinea and Kwesi Nyantakyi (CAF Executive Committee Member and President of Ghana Football Association) were elected with an absolute majority at first attempt ahead of their competitors, Ahmad (CAF Executive Committee Member and President of the Madagascar Football Federation) and Augustine Senghor (President of Senegal Football Federation). Three other candidates withdrew, among them the CAF first vice president and president of COSAFA, Suketu Patel of Seychelles.