29 May 2018

Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, McLean Letshwiti has called on first division football clubs to begin the club licensing process.

Speaking in an interview during the Debswana First Division North (FDN) annual general meeting (AGM) over the weekend, Letshwiti said club licensing could resolve a lot of issues in local football as well as improve its quality.

Admitting that it could not be achieved today, he said, it was therefore important to begin the journey now as it could deal with a lot of challenges faced by local football.

On the issue of capacity building, Letshwiti said it was very important to consider if a person was honest, transparent and capable before electing them into a position of power.

He also said first division teams ought to know their role in football development, which was grooming and producing players who could play for national teams.

He lamented that youth development programmes and grassroots development had not been done in a good manner.

“In a bid to identify grassroots talent in a sustainable manner, we have now partnered with the Germans who will also help promote coach education,” revealed Letshwiti.

He pleaded with the football fraternity to support his dream of building a top class football academy that would accommodate about 100 footballers for export.

First Division North chairperson, Mpenzeni Sambandawe said the first division league was not given priority although it was a national league.

He added that there was unclear role definition of first division within football, saying there was need to respect the constitution and professionalise football.

Sambandawe also said first division north teams were financially challenged although they were expected to have development structures, saying the situation needed to be improved.

He also complained about e-registration, saying most teams were still unable to complete the process.

He also decried the lack of playing grounds, saying they had requested teams to list their home grounds but that they were not forthcoming.

He complained about unutilised facilities due to the muti myth, urging clubs to refrain from such acts. He said using muti was against FIFA regulations and could also endanger players’ lives.

Sambandawe requested for the first division’s own top 8 competition, saying it could be competed for by the top four teams from first division south and north. ENDS