National Stadium faces fresh CAF inspection

A successful inspection would pave the way for the return of Botswana's national team matches and CAF interclub competitions to the capital. Currently, Francistown's Obed Itani Chilume Stadium remains the country's only CAF-certified venue. Botswana Football Association president Tariq Babitseng is optimistic the venue could finally pass the test after several failed inspections. "We are pushing to host Category Three matches so that we can be able to host all our home games here, that is the national teams and CAF club competitions," Babitseng said.

He said neighbouring countries such as Namibia and Zimbabwe, which currently do not have CAF-approved stadiums, have previously used Obed Itani Chilume Stadium to host their international matches. According to him, the return of the National Stadium to the CAF-approved list would ease the demand on the Francistown facility and provide an additional venue for regional fixtures. Babitseng said the National Stadium must get the green light in view of Botswana's 2028 Africa Cup of Nations finals bid.