15 Nov 2017

 In an effort to shore up the fortunes of local football, the Botswana Football Association (BFA) has roped in a German youth development expert to come up with a model that would structure grassroots development.

The expert, Mr Christoph Rocholl from the German Football Association is in the country to conduct a feasibility study on youth development and come up with recommendations for the country’s grassroots blue print.

In a meeting with the Francistown Regional Football Association on Sunday, BFA president, Mr Maclean Letshwiti mentioned that during his campaign, one of his priority areas was youth development.

He noted that he has hit the ground running and hopes that the study would look at the local football structure and infrastructure.

“After the study the expert will document the findings and advise on the model we can follow as a country,” he said.

However, he mentioned that the success of the project hinges on the cooperation that the association would get from its regions noting that if there was no cooperation the project would collapse.

The BFA president raised concerns that the First Division North committee did not look united owing to the absence of other members of the executive committee.

Mr Letshwiti explained that no amount of money could do wonders in football development if there was no unity.

 In addition, he said that the mistake that many people make is to think that the BFA leadership alone can drive football development.

“For a long time we have ignored partners such as FIFA. As we speak, our current youth development strategy is accredited by the world governing body who have released forward funding to the tune of P10 million while COSAFA has contributed P800 000,” he noted.

He also noted that the association had not been working with government despite the fact that schools and facilities belonged to the former.

He criticised football consultants in the country noting that they had been in football for many years but failed to turn the situation around.

BFA, he added, should work with associate members such as BOPSSA and BISA if youth development in football is to bear fruits.

Only after this, he noted, will the private sector come on board. The private sector, he observed want orderliness and good corporate governance.

Consequently, he asserted that the state of pitches in the country was disheartening and noted that in Kasane coaches’ education was lacking despite the fact that FIFA had been pumping money in this area for many years.

For his part, BFA chief executive officer, Mr Mfolwe Mfolwe mentioned that because of the president’s passion about youth development, he made a business case to the Botswana National Sports Commission to make it a priority.

He said that the strategy is currently focused on grassroots youth development, coach education and monitoring and evaluation.

Meanwhile, Mr Rocholl said that from the little that he had seen in Botswana, lack of infrastructure was the main hindrance. Football education, he added, was also lacking with some coaches having none at all. Coach education, he mentioned was key to successful youth development.

“Low levels of football education among local coaches at grassroots have to be turned around as they are a key part of the process, “he observed.

Mr Rocholl mentioned that it was important to focus on various levels of coaching at youth development level. The grassroots development process, he asserted, has to be structured in a pyramid form with the senior national team being a result of development.

Furthermore, he noted that it was good to have teachers who are also qualified youth coaches. However, he noted that there was need to have youth coaches with C licences.

First Division North Chairperson, Mr Mpenzeni Sambandawe applauded the BFA president for visiting regions noting that this would give him the opportunity to appreciate their challenges.

He said that the fact that they have a strategic plan, a blue print of where they wanted to take football, was an indication that football is making strides in Botswana.

The chairperson of FRAFRA, Mr Maokaneng Bontshetse posited that the welfare of regions and youth development was key in their region and said that they had always advocated for the interaction between the BFA secretariat on a regular basis.

He decried the fact that the FRAFA region is vast and administrators fund football activities from their pockets. Also concerning, he noted, was the fact that some teams in the region do not have youth development structures. BOPA