04 Mar 2015

Since Botswana football teams started participating in both CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup competitions, no club has ever proceeded to group stages.

There is a school of thought that say’s participating in the competition gives players a lot of exposure by playing against experienced players in the continent, and those who perform well can ultimately get contracts from outside the country.

However, Botswana’s most decorated team, Township Rollers has participated in CAF Champions League seven times in 1981, 1985 and 2015 they finished on first round, whereas in 1983, 1984, 1988, and 1996 they were booted out in the preliminary round.

Extension Gunners took part in 1993 and 1995, they also bowed out of the competition in the preliminary round, BDF X1 tried their luck 1998 and 2003, and they also finished on the preliminary round.

Now the question is, what it is that Botswana teams are not doing right, are teams reluctant to participate in the competition because it is expensive, or they make the decision to take part in the competition at the eleventh hour, without fully preparing for the tournament?

However, FIFA development officer, Ashford Mamelodi said the reason behind the poor performance was that not enough was being done to raise the level of performance of clubs to enable them compete with the best in the African continent.

He also attributed the problem to lack of youth development including leagues, lack of experience at a high and competitive level, absence of professionalism in clubs resulting in poor funding and less than adequate management at club level.

Mamelodi further said the relaxed manner in which foreign coaches and players are brought into the country and the league without any form of a minimum requirement also contributes to the issue.

“A good number of foreign players and coaches are not better than their local counter-parts. At some point the reduction of the clubs in the Premier League might need to be revisited,” he said.

In addition, the FIFA development officer said a 16 team Premier League in Botswana contributes to lack of competitiveness within the league.

He said the situation would continue to work against Botswana in international competitions until all necessary stakeholders’ deal with it.

Mamelodi however congratulated Township Rollers and BDF X1 for gallant performances against the more fancied Kaizer Chiefs and Young Africans FC.

He said for BDF X1 to come and register a win after a 2 nil deficit and narrowly loose on aggregate suggests that there had been gains where club football in Botswana was concerned.  ENDS