BFA faces Fifa sanctions - Fani

FREDERICK KEBADIRETSE
Staff Writer | Monday August 2, 2010 00:00

 

BFA President, David Fani told delegates at the association's biennial general assembly at Boipuso Hall in Gaborone on Saturday that FIFA has a very strong stand against government interference in the running of football. He said offending countries face tough sanctions from FIFA and Botswana would not be an exception.  He cited the recent incident when the Nigerian Football Association (NFA) was nearly banned by FIFA after the government decided to pull out the national team from regional competitions for two years following the Super Eagles' early exit from the World Cup in June.

'We believe the initiative (constituency football) was well intended, but we cannot run away from the fact that it is disrupting our football schedule,' Fani said. He said they had in the past held several meetings with authorities from the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) and the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture (MYSC) to try and plot the way forward for the tournaments to continue without infringing FIFA rules, but they have not reached an agreement. He said the BFA executive committee has always been concerned about the leagues' structure and format since their establishment two years ago.

'We suggested to the government that they (constituency tournaments) should be restructured so that they do not interfere with mainstream football and for the concerns FIFA has raised against the tournament,' he explained.  He said they want the tournaments to be handed to the BFA as a concept and not as a reality and then they will see how to implement it as a development league to be run under regional football associations.

The regional football representatives had earlier raised a concern against the tournaments saying they have a very negative impact on their leagues, which are all about volunteering.  They said the volunteers among them players, coaches and administrators have since deserted the regional leagues seeing the financial rewards that came with the constituency tournaments.

Fani said that they asked the government to consider reducing the cut-off age of participants in the constituency league so that they can be within the sports concept.  He said the tournaments have caused violations in other sports codes where they have been introduced like volleyball and netball.  'As long as the tournament is sponsored, there will always be a problem.  FIFA has implied to us that the tournament is a breach and our hope is that the government will look into the matter before it is too late,' he said. FIFA wrote a warning letter to the BFA after the introduction of the tournaments demanding an explanation.  The government has taken a firm stand defending the tournaments saying they are intended for a good purpose.  Critics have often dismissed the tournaments as a means of buying votes and distracting the people from the problems they face.  They say the money should have been channelled elsewhere in sports development.  Despite all the criticism, the pioneer of the idea President Ian Khama has always stood by the tournaments.  He has praised its success and good purpose in his State of the Nation Address showing no intentions to reconsider it.  His cabinet has also defended the tournament, especially Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, Shaw Kgathi. Members of the opposition have tried in vain to have the tournaments discontinued.