Stagnant football forced BFA to engage expert
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Tuesday November 28, 2017 15:28
The association recently engaged a German expert, Christoph Rocholl to carry out an audit on local football and map the way forward in terms of football development in the country.
“For 51 years we have nothing to show. This got us thinking as football administration in the country. We decided to embark on a project which is aimed at taking Botswana football to the next level,” Letshwiti said yesterday.
He said they decided to develop a long-term plan where the association will be able to produce national teams that can compete internationally in the future hence the engagement of Rocholl. Letshwiti said through the help of the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC), they identified Germany as a case study because of their success in grassroots development. “The reaction from Germany was that they could not just send an expert here. They first wanted to send someone to look at the situation analysis. Someone who will come and assess our situation first hence the arrival of Rocholl,” he added.
The German expert has been in the country for two months and travelled across the regions to assess the state of football in the country. He said during his countrywide tour, he was impressed by the passion shown by people who mostly do not have football education.
He said he saw many young kids in Gantsi playing football despite the fact that most of them had no suitable equipment including soccer boots.
He said through the German Embassy in Botswana, they have since decided to donate some equipment to Gantsi to ensure that the youngsters fulfil their dreams. Rocholl has in the past helped countries like Honduras and Costa Rica with grassroots development plans and strategies. He said at the time when he worked with Costa Rica, youth football during that time in the South American country did not exist.
Years later, Costa Rica managed to qualify for the World Cup as well as Honduras. He said for two months he travelled the country, he has managed to do a study on different aspects of the game and collected plenty of details, which include both administration and the technical. He said they have since had a rough overview of the study and hopes that they come to the final result and they can make recommendations.
Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) chairperson, Solly Reikeletseng said as the government they have been patient with football and will continue to do so. He said strategic alliances like this one are a welcome development. “We have tried all we can as a nation and we needed an external help,” he said.