10 Jun 2020

Botswana Football Association (BFA) has urged women  football international players to take advantage of the scholarship offered by University of Johannesburg (UJ).

In an interview on Tuesday, BFA chief executive officer, Mfolo Mfolo said the players should be in a position to study and play in South Africa Football Association (SAFA) Women’s National League in the next season.

 

According to BFA, the scholarship also calls for Under 20 men and women international players, who are willing to study and ply their trade in South Africa to apply.

 

Mfolo said their desire was for the players to apply individually adding that BFA would only assist the university in the selection process.

 

He noted that BFA would assist players to cover other needs as the scholarship did not cover other expenses.

 

Mfolo said players would have to choose from different courses looking at the fact that football was a short time career adding that players would need something to fall back once their football career ends.

 

Football administrator, Kagiso Rantswaneng hailed whatever agreement BFA had with University of Johannesburg, as a good move.

 

However, he said BFA could have also approached University of Botswana.

 

He also pointed out that the memo was not clear as to which courses would be offered to the players and the kind of agreement between the two (BFA and UJ).

 

According to Rantswaneng, many players, who excel in sport were not academically gifted adding that it would have helped to know, which courses were offered by University of Johannesburg, so that the players could be able to select relevant courses. 

 

He said BFA had a database of players’ profiles and as such, should select and forward the names to UJ.

 

“I think BFA has to process everything on behalf of the players,” he said.

 

Furthermore, Rantswaneng noted that there was an elite scholarship coordinated by Botswana National Sport Commission, which focused on players who excelled in sport and interested to further their studies.

 

He said those players were sent to countries such as United States of America and they were selected on merit from the database, adding that they were not advised to just apply on their own.

 

“And players succeeded because of the selection process used and the passion they had for what they were studying,” he said. Ends