09 Jun 2020

As football fans and stakeholders brace for Botswana Football Association (BFA) elective general assembly slated for August 8, already a number of people have reacted with mixed feelings towards some of the regulations stipulated for one to be eligible to stand for election.

According to the BFA constitution, for one to be eligible to stand for any position, he or she should be serving or be active in one of the football structures, among others.

While some welcomed the development, others have said some people, who could serve football diligently would be left out.

Former Gaborone United treasurer, Kagiso Rantswanen said it was wrong to use someone’s activity in the BFA structures as a precise measure and tool to prove capability and passion.

He said the ill-informed decision was that only those active in the structures now were capable and worthy to lead the association.

“With decisions such as this, many capable and willing people have been left out.

We have within the football nation, able professionals in many diverse economic responsibilities, who can and should be encouraged to stand for office if indeed we are serious about turning the corner,” he said.

Rantswaneng said football had reached its low levels of appeal adding that it was regulations such as these, which deter many and kill any interest that one might have.

Football, he said was an industry and must be treated as such adding that people must be free to come in and assist.

“We will continue to miss on the pool of knowledge and skills available or at our disposal if we segregate people like we do. Many people who have relevant industry knowledge have been cast out because they are not serving in any of the BFA structures currently even though a lot of them have served before and left legacies and good track records,” he said.

Sunday Standard sports journalist, Botlhale Koothopile said the thinking that people who were active in football structures were the only ones passionate about the growth of football and understand it better, was shallow.

“This in my opinion is a flawed thinking.

Management in my opinion is not about knowing everything about your work. It is about managing the resources (human and otherwise) and harnessing them to achieve a certain purpose or goal.
Henry Ford did not have to know anything about making his own car (Ford),” he said.

Koothopile said what Ford understood was that he needed the best qualified people in different roles and managing them to deliver what was needed.

He said football must have the best brains managing it at the highest level.

“These may not even be those on football structures.

We need people with management skills.

Most of these people are found away from football structures but in the corporate world.

These people understand roles of board of directors better than some of those already serving in football structures,” he said.

“They also understand what is entailed in having a vision or goals, targets and harnessing the available resources to achieve that and they know how to surround themselves with qualified personnel to carry out their vision,” he said.

For his part, BFA chief executive officer, Mfolo Mfolo said the regulation had always been stipulated in the association’s constitution. Ends