It comes following a partnership signed amongst the Botswana Football Association (BFA), Footballers Union of Botswana (FUB) and CrackIt Botswana aimed at bridging the education gap created by national-team camps. Unveiled at the Lekidi Football Auditorium on Wednesday, the partnership will provide academic support to players during local and international camps.It will also support academy development, player welfare and the creation of sustainable pathways beyond football.The initiative seeks to address a longstanding challenge in Botswana football, where young players can spend several weeks away from school whilst preparing for tournaments, potentially leaving them academically behind their peers.CrackIt Botswana director and chief operating officer, Otukile Chaikwa revealed the organisation would provide academic services wherever BFA youth teams are camping, whether locally or abroad.“Either you are in Malaysia, either you are in America, the name for the place does not matter. CrackIt will be there,” he said at the unveiling.Chaikwa added the organisation's role was to fill the educational gap created when players leave school to attend national-team camps.The partnership is therefore positioned as more than an education initiative, with the three organisations seeking to develop footballers as individuals capable of building careers both within and beyond the sport.For his part, BFA interim CEO Bathusi Rathari said the need for such an intervention had become apparent from the experiences of young players who struggled academically after spending extended periods in national-team camps.Rathari recalled the case of a young player who represented the national Under-17 team and spent several weeks in camp, only to return to school having fallen behind.He noted the experience highlighted the need for football authorities and other stakeholders to take greater responsibility for what happens to players beyond the pitch.“Football cannot develop in isolation,” Rathari said, stressing that modern football requires investment in people, education, player welfare, infrastructure, and sustainable career pathways.FUB president Onalethata Tshekiso said the union had long advocated for initiatives that prepare players for life after football, noting that playing careers are often short and unpredictable.He urged players to take advantage of educational opportunities created through partnerships such as the latest initiative.BFA president Tariq Babitseng echoed the call, saying education should remain important before, during, and after a player's football career.“Careers in football are too short,” Babitseng said, encouraging players to acquire qualifications and skills that can open opportunities once their playing days are over.
