Leaders of the game formed a Botswana League Task Force that is intended to reshape the game in Botswana at Premier League Level. The decision was arrived at during a workshop in Tlotlo Hotel and Conference Centre where the leaders converged to discuss how best to professionalise the game. “We learned a lesson from Bosele declaration where we just agreed on a document but there was no Monitoring and Evaluation,” said Ashford Mamelodi, the FIFA Development Officer. He emphasized that they believe with a task force things will change for the better in Botswana football.
The task team will be given a key mandate of doing research on how best Botswana Football can be professionalised. Some of the key challenges they will have to grapple with will be to come up with the best model that suits Botswana Football Clubs- trust, society, or companies. Most football leaders agree that societies are a head ache to Botswana Football as almost every season there is some litigation against a particular society in football. The other key issue the task team have to engage is whether salaries have to be governed. In some countries like Australia they have salary caps for teams. Teams in the Botswana Premier League always have financial problems owing to increasing costs and reduced revenue.
Still at the workshop the Facilitator of the workshop from FIFA, Robbie Middleby, said they have identified that different leagues adopt different modus operandi on different areas of operations of their respective leagues. “In Australia there is no promotion and relegation in the Premier division… it works for them… In countries like Poland, Kenya, and India teams that travel longer distance for matches get more grants than others.” With this he urged the task team to keep an open mind and arrive at the best recommendations informed by thorough research that suits the Botswana Situation.
The task force that is made of 7 football leaders and chaired by the second Vice President of BFA Mr Marshlow P. Motlogelwa. They will be working closely with Middleby and are expected to complete the research and recommendations within the next six months. The workshop was attended by football leaders from BFA National Executive Committee, Chairs of the clubs, First Division, Secretariat of the BFA and Premier League, media, and other BFA structures.
