News

Use of blue books abolished

May 18, 2021

The Botswana Football Association (BFA) says following the completion of the electronic registration system, known as the FIFA CONNECT, the use of the manual registration method (Blue Books) has ceased to exist. The Secretariat made the announcement on Tuesday (today), informing all clubs that ownership of players will only be recognized using the electronic system.

“We therefore wish to urge all structures to make sure that all clubs participating in the various leagues (including youth) have registered all their players in the system as that is the only recognizable process/system of registering players for teams taking part in the BFA Competitions,” a communique from the Botswana FA read.

Furthermore, the Secretariat advised all clubs to commence the capturing of data in the FIFA CONNECT system whilst awaiting the commencement of footballing activity.

“It has been noted that most teams, especially women and youth have not yet completed capturing players in the system.”

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Development

The Mares Display Heart In Tri Nations Challenge

Botswana’s senior women’s national football team recently concluded their campaign in the prestigious Three Nations Challenge, hosted by South Africa from 28 May to 3 June at the Lucas Moripe Stadium. The series saw spirited competition between Botswana, South Africa, and Zambia, as teams continued their preparations for the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers.

Despite narrowly missing out on the top prize, Botswana showed immense character and growth throughout the tournament. The Mares kicked off their campaign with a thrilling encounter against the African champions South Africa, narrowly going down 3-2 in a tightly contested match. The team bounced back with a determined performance against Zambia, securing a 1-1 draw and demonstrating resilience and tactical discipline.

Final Tournament Results:

South Africa 3–2 Botswana

Botswana 1–1 Zambia

South Africa 2–0 Zambia

South Africa’s Banyana Banyana were ultimately crowned champions of the series, winning both of their matches to take the top spot. The tournament offered valuable game time and experience for all participating nations, and Botswana’s technical team, led by Head Coach Alex Malete, will take key insights from these fixtures as they refine the squad for the crucial WAFCON fianals.