There is no turbulence at BFA - Fani

| Friday August 13, 2010 00:00

 

Mmegi Sport: The BFA general assembly has come and gone, but not without hitches. There were efforts to topple your committee. Do you think this is indicative of the restlessness in local football?

Fani: I normally do not want to speculate but I am aware that there is a small minority in football who seem not to want to see stability in the game.  These are the people who were behind the attempt to sponsor a motion of no confidence in the BFA National Executive Committee. If there is any restlessness in the BFA, it is restricted to this small minority who do not want to give the National Executive Committee a chance to deliver. This minority do not appear to have any ideas of where they would like to take Botswana football if they are given the chance to lead.  This is why they would rather concentrate on discrediting those in the leadership instead of selling their plans of how they will take Botswana football forward.

Mmegi Sport: After the attempted coup, do you believe that normalcy has returned or will we see the so-called disgruntled members regrouping and launching another bid to topple your administration?

Fani: I believe that, except for isolated pockets of instability instigated by those who do not want to see progress, normalcy has always existed in Botswana football.  I cannot predict what people will do. But, if these people have the interests of football at heart, as they usually claim, they will respect the position of the general assembly, the supreme body in Botswana football, as expressed in the contempt with which it treated the attempt to undermine  its meeting and the BFA constitution, by trying to come up with this bizarre attempt to unseat the National Executive Committee.

Mmegi Sport: You have consistently denied the existence of factions in the BFA arguing that it is a difference of opinion more than anything else. After efforts to remove your administration, do you still hold the same view?

Fani: I still hold the view that what we have in BFA are lobby groups and not factions.  Ordinarily, these groups will be seen during election time but thereafter, everyone should work together to develop Botswana football.  The person who first claimed that there are factions in the BFA is known.  One would have expected that, realising the damage that his utterance did to the good name of football, he would be reasonable enough to retract his statement as one way of achieving some measure of repair to the damage.

Mmegi Sport: Why do some people want to topple your administration?

Fani: Your guess is as good as mine.  I do not know why people come up with these strange ideas but I am not overly concerned as long as I and my executive committee have the support of the BFA general assembly and the membership at large as demonstrated at the assembly held on July 31, 2010.

Mmegi Sport: How far true is it that your administration backed Booker Bannister for the BFA vice president post against Boyce Sebetela and Segolame Ramotlhwa?

Fani: The National Executive Committee had no preferred candidate amongst those who stood for elections.  In actual fact, the matter of a preferred candidate was never discussed at the National Executive Committee.

Mmegi Sport: What effect do you think the election of Ramotlhwa would have had on the running of the BFA as you seem to have a dim view of him?

Fani: People must remember that the National Executive Committee had no problem with Ramotlhwa.  He is the one that apparently had a problem with the committee or some of its members.  Had he been elected at the recent general assembly, I do not think that anyone in the current National Executive Committee would have had a problem working with him, provided that his return is for genuine reasons.

Mmegi Sport: Elections for the presidency are due in 2012. Are you standing, and if you are, what will be your justification? Do you feel you still have unfinished business?

Fani: I will make a decision whether to stand for elections in 2012 closer to the time.  For the time being, my focus is on doing my best for Botswana football. The challenges are immense and there is need for clear direction as to where Botswana football should go. The National Executive Committee will in due course unveil a strategy for the effective development of Botswana football, in all its spheres.  My hope and expectation is that the strategy will get the necessary support from all stakeholders.

Mmegi Sport: Can you rate your tenure thus far?

Fani:  While some goals have not been achieved, I am of the considered view that some notable achievements have been attained.  Overall our football is on the up, our sponsorships have grown to levels not seen before. We have added a P2.2 million hostel accommodation to Lekidi Football Centre. We have reduced the level of debt from about P4 million to below P1 million. There is transparency and openness in what we do in the service of football. The national team is doing well and is in pole position to qualify for the African Cup of Nations finals for the first time.  So there is reason to be positive despite existing challenges.

Mmegi Sport: You have said the association faces financial challenges. How does your administration hope to address this?

Fani: Lack of adequate resources has bedeviled BFA over a long period of time.  Finance and facilities pose serious challenges to efforts to develop the game.  While the executive committee will lobby for better funding from relevant stakeholders and work to raise sponsorship levels, we realise that we have to come up with ways of raising our own revenue.  This is something that we take seriously and the new vice-president in charge of finance, marketing and research will be tasked to make proposals of how it can be achieved.

Mmegi Sport: The BFA failed to register junior teams for international competitions because of an administrative blunder. Do you think such incidents give your critics the right to claim that your administration has faltered?

Fani: It is true such administrative lapses might provide critics with an opportunity to question the BFA leadership.  But things need to be put in their proper perspective and not be taken out of context for political gain.  We have explained this matter to the football fraternity and Batswana in general and we have no reason to believe that people have found our explanation wanting.  If there were still issues concerning the matter, such would have been raised at the general assembly.

Mmegi Sport: President Ian Khama has attacked FIFA for threatening to ban the country as result of the constituency leagues. You have always made it clear that you want to see a different approach to constituency football. Has your view changed following what the President was quoted as saying? Is the constituency league making your job difficult?

Fani: We are still engaged with government to find common ground concerning constituency tournaments. I strongly believe that the matter will be resolved.

Mmegi Sport: If FIFA was to carry out its threat and ban Botswana, who would do you think should shoulder the blame?

Fani: Like I said, we are working closely with government to resolve the matter.