Teams stranded despite women�s leagues start

Dumisani Ncube | Tuesday November 21, 2017 15:41

 

The Botswana Football Association (BFA) last year dismantled what was known as the Women Super League (WSL) in an effort to revamp the local women’s game. The BFA decided that women’s football would be played in the regions in an effort to accommodate all the football teams in the country as the WSL was contested by the teams in the south.

Tlokweng’s FC Ambassadors and South East Girls United (SEGU) are yet to kick ball, as they are the only two women teams in the region. The teams were set to contest in Gaborone City Football Association (GCFA) Division 1 league, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Speaking to Mmegi Sport yesterday, Kitso Masi of SEGU said his team is left to watch from the sidelines as he pointed the blame finger at the SEFA leadership.

“We (SEGU) asked since the region has only two teams: Could we join the other regions? The Gaborone region said it was okay, we then wrote to SEFA at the beginning of August when a resolution was taken that the leagues would be played at regional level asking for permission to play in the GCFA league. But as of we are waiting for the response from SEFA,” he said.

Masi further said the whole fiasco has had an impact in his team's ambitions as they might go for another season with out action. “The Gaborone region only requires a written confirmation from our region permitting us to play in their league. We are asking ourselves why they cannot provide us with written documentation. We are left with kids who have been inactive for two years, but are willing to play. We are talking about talent that has represented the country at all national teams level and that has the potential to do well in the future. Our development plans have also been affected, I mean how can we develop when we do not have a senior side to feed?” he said.

 SEFA secretary general, Moshe Sethibe said he could not divulge much on the issue, as they are yet to discuss it at the executive committee (exco).

“It is an issue we would discuss with the exco. We do not have a sufficient number of teams, but did not stop the teams from participating in other regions. If I recall well, Gaborone said they have 12 teams and they would not want to add more but they said they would expel inactive teams so we are waiting for their response,” he said.

“Anyone who has a grievance will contact us. They should report who they think is at fault to the block leadership whom we would get the report from.

We are yet to receive any report on region versus team issue. But we should remember that regions own football. Every team belongs to a certain region hence why it was appropriate for the league to start at regional level,” BFA’s regions coordinator, Setete Phuthego said on the matter.

The team in the Kgalagadi and Southern regions may also suffer from the same issue. However, leagues in the Selibe-Phikwe, Gantsi, Tswapong, Gaborone and Kweneng regions have commenced while the Chobe and Kgatleng are expected to start over the weekend.