FIFA Goal III project for F/town

SHINGIRAI MADONDO
Correspondent | Thursday June 20, 2013 00:00

 

The FIFA Goal Project is a worldwide development programme to bring parity through the provision of specific needs of national associations in the area of tailor-made development and assistance programmes.FIFA's continuous assistance to associations is however dependent on certain conditions, including prudent management, good governance and commitment to the realisation of set targets. In a nutshell, the projects are aimed at bridging the gap between the Europeans and some underdeveloped teams in Africa, Asia and Latin America through modernising the management and administration of the world's most beautiful game.

With Francistown running short of internationally recognised facilities, the Botswana Football Association (BFA) wishes to take full advantage of the third phase FIFA Goal Project to erect a state of the art sports facility in the country's second city.BFA constructed the Lekidi village with the first phase of the grant. And the recently approved FIFA Goal II Project has been diverted to Gaborone again although it was initially touted for Francistown.

Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Nthobelang, the BFA Vice President (Technical) confirmed the development. He explained that Francistown missed out on the second phase of the grant because it lacks the necessary FIFA prerequisites.  'But be rest assured that FIFA Goal III Project will be coming to Francistown,' announced Nthobelang when addressing a Francistown Regional Football Association (FRAFA) annual assembly recently.

Nthobelang said Francistown is the country's second city and deserves quality facilities. He urged the FRAFA leadership to put their house in order by ensuring that all the FIFA requirements are in place well in time to avoid further disappointment.'FIFA requires land with a title deed,' Nthobelang said, adding that FIFA Goal projects are also aimed at taking the game of football to the people. Nthobelang was responding to concerns raised by some FRAFA affiliates who wanted to know why the second phase of the continuous FIFA Goal projects was diverted to Gaborone.

For his part, FRAFA chairperson Jonas Msomi Ikgopoleng revealed that the Francistown City Council (FCC) has already allocated FRAFA land and that they are just waiting for title deeds from the Department of Lands in Francistown.FIFA Goal Projects were launched in 1999 and to date a total of 300 projects have been completed in the targeted areas worldwide.