The Botswana Football Association (BFA) is making progress in preparing their elite clubs for migration to a new, independent Premier League competition.
The BFA has engaged a private consultant to touch base with all the Premier League teams to prepare them for the transformation.
Former FIFA Development Officer, Ashford Mamelodi, through his consultancy, was tasked with the implementation of the plan.
Acting Botswana Premier League Executive Director Monnakgotla Mojaki confirmed that they have visited all the teams as expected.
“I can confirm that we travelled together with the consultant within at least 15 clubs that are in the premier league. The one team not visited is the 16th which will be determined by a play-off between Nico United and Mogoditshane Fighters,” Mojaki revealed in an interview
The one-day engagement wasn’t a full training, but it gave both the club and the BFA an opportunity to appreciate each other according to Mojaki.
The engagement was a transformation plan that prepares teams to move from being societies to corporate bodies. The teams were told what they need to do in order to be professional side and companies which can be run professionally.
“I can confirm that of all the 15 teams visited they all had different set-ups but are all willing to move forward and transform. They have different challenges of the current set-ups but most of them have resolutions that direct them to where they should take the clubs.” Mojaki explained
Mamelodi was specifically identified by the BFA because of his vast experience not only in Botswana football but African football in general.
His engagement started with club structures, governance, finance, marketing and public relations.
The meetings in different teams also saw different stakeholders attending so that they get the information from the horses’ mouth which was what the BFA appreciated.
The day covered governance being the good and bad side of it. It also looked at club structure in totality. This also covered basics of club management both the administration and technical components. Teams engaged and shared their challenges to all ingredients that were described as key in being a business entity without hurting anybody be it investors and fans.
The professionalization of football in Botswana dates back to in 2008 when elite league converged in the then mining town of Selebi Phikwe. They came with a document to be popularly called the Bosele declaration. The move failed to bear fruits and was later revised in what was then termed the ‘Revised Bosele Declaration’ at Cresta in Gaborone in 2012.
The move still died some natural death until it was partially revived in 2016 when a FIFA consultant was invited to address the clubs and find a way forward. Fast forward to 2020 the progress was still at a snail’s pace until the BFA-President Maclean Letshwiti made it a point that he set timelines on how the whole project was going to be done.
For the month of July all teams were prepared for the transformation. An independent private company was registered. A sponsorship and transformation committee was also appointed and it looks like they have hit the ground running with regards to their mandate.
Mojaki however wouldn’t be drawn much into what has been achieved thus far.
“The company has been registered but there will be a meeting of the shareholders which will make a determination of the league model and directors’ appointment. The committee has been working on the constitution and the play rules and regulations that will govern the new entity.” Mojaki explained.
By Gaone Pearl Kerileng
