08 Sep 2016

The last time Botswana Football Challenge Cup (Coca-Cola Cup) was played was in 2012 between Mochudi Centre Chiefs and Gaborone United.

Gaborone United won 4-2 on penalty shoot-out that was the last time the lucrative and developmental cup was played in Botswana.

It is almost four years now, and still chances are very slim that this season Batswana will once again witness crème of Botswana football.

However Botswana Football Association (BFA) president MacLean Letshwiti told a press conference on Wednesday that the FA cup was close to his heart.

He said FA cup by nature was developmental, because that is where quality players are identified by elite teams.

Letshwiti further said the FA Cup was therefore central to his programme, adding that during his tenure as a leader, he is going to come up with a robust developmental strategy.

“Negotiations are in advance, I have made request to FIFA to provide us with a highly qualified technical adviser as far as strategy is concerned. 

Once that is done you will see my road-map and as I'm talking to you the preliminaries are being done,” he said.

On re-deployment of Botswana Premier League chief executive officer, Bennett Mamelodi and is Personal Assistant to BFA, Letshwiti said in terms of best practice when someone is being audited in order not to compromise the integrity of the investigations it is appropriate to tell the person either to take leave or redeploy them.

He said he has also told the BPL to divorce themselves from the process, so that they do not compromise the integrity

In other issues Letshwiti said the major reason of postponement of the league was because the sponsor was not ready given that on June 16 they wrote to BFA, detailing issues that had to be addressed, before the league can proceed. 

He said the other reason was that BFA was busy setting up committees, adding for the league to start the referees should have met first for the smooth running of the game.

“The other reason is that we are celebrating 50 years anniversary, we have to respect such occasions, they  only come once  in a year, we as an association we don't own grounds, and all the grounds are booked for the celebrations”, he said. ENDS