Female Zebras� COSAFA trip in doubt
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday July 28, 2017 14:41
Speaking to Mmegi Sport yesterday, the BFA chief executive officer, Ookeditse Malesu said the association is yet to confirm the team’s participation.
“The wish is to go and participate at the competition but the question is if we can, looking at our current financial situation. We will have to find sources of funds for the tournament,” he said.
Malesu further said that national team assignments hit the association’s coffers hard as the BFA, on average spends around P350,000 on every assignment.
He also said they are aware of the Botswana National Sport Commission’s (BNSC) demands that no national team should miss any international assignment. He said they would wait for advice from the technical committee, as the players have been inactive since the league was halted in January.
“We will also seek the advice of the technical committee, (BFA technical director Matshidiso Kowa) Kowa and his team would have to assess the team and report to us if we should go there to compete rather than to participate,” he said.
The women national team has been inactive since last April. However, the Under-20 returned to the pitch last Friday but were on the losing side as they were hammered 7-1 by Kenya in the first leg of the Under-20 World Cup qualifiers. Last year, the BFA failed to send the men’s Under-20 to the COSAFA Challenge in South Africa citing lack of funds. Meanwhile, National Women Football Committee (NWFC) would turn to the BFA as yet another sponsor-less season beckons. The local women football clubs were left to endure a rather frustrating season after a false start to the new initiative of regional leagues. The league was halted in January and the clubs have been inactive since.
However, after a chaotic season in women football, teams were given renewed hope as the NWFC announced last month that league football would be played in all the regions next season. Speaking to Mmegi Sport on Wednesday, NWFC Itsholeng Disang said the committee is yet to secure a sponsor for the league and would meet the BFA National Executive Committee (NEC) ahead of the start of the new season.
“As of now, we have nothing. We have not yet secured a sponsor. No one has come forward showing interest in our league. We would have to meet with the NEC before the leagues start, but they (BFA NEC) too have not offered any sort of help,” Disang said. She further said she is aware of the financial challenges that the teams are faced with, but as things stand the NWFC has encouraged the clubs to sought sponsorships for themselves to meet the demanding costs of playing in the league. For his part, Malesu said their duty is to initiate the new plan but due to the financial situation at the clubs, the BFA would have to help the teams as the new league takes baby steps.
“Since our assembly, we have been working around the clock to ensure that league starts on time. We are waiting for response from several regions as to if they have enough teams in their regions to form a league (structure),” Disang said.
The BFA last year cancelled the Super League, which was mainly contested by teams in the south, after introducing regional leagues as part of the process of forming a national league. However of the 17 regions, only the Francistown Region league was completed with Francistown United crowned champions while Chobe, Tsabong and Palapye regions played only one round of the games. The local clubs have battled with financial constraints since AT&T Monnakgotla pulled out as the main sponsor in 2012.
Meanwhile, most teams have already begun their pre-season and the Kweneng Region would hold a one-day tournament on Saturday. The tournament will be played at the Mogoditshane Fighters grounds, featuring Makufa SC, Sigalekheke, Kumakwane FC and Divine Minds.