Blatter is expected to arrive in the country on February 8 and leave the following day.An elated BFA acting chief executive officer (CEO), Tariq Babitseng said Blatter's visit is a big gesture for local football. "This is a very big gesture for us as an association and as a nation. It's not every day that you get a visit from the FIFA president, more so considering that Sepp Blatter has so much to do for football," he told Mmegi Sport.He said the visit was merely a courtesy call on the BFA president, but the association would ensure Blatter meets the country's head of state, Ian Khama and sports minister, Shaw Kgathi.
The last time Blatter visited Botswana was in 2002 while he was in the region in 2011 when he met Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe. Earlier that year, he had visited South Africa supposedly to look at the legacy of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and its benefits to the African continent. Babitseng said it was important that the FIFA boss meet with government officials during his short stay in the country."This will give him an opportunity to talk to government about FIFA's plans. We all feel it is a positive development and we think we will gain a lot from it. It will also give him an opportunity to see where we are in terms of football and where we intend to go." The association is expected to have drawn an itinerary by tomorrow.
