11 Oct 2020

Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Tumiso Rakgare says government is pinning her hope on Botswana Football Association (BFA) to enhance its chances of hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Speaking during BFA ordinary general assembly on October 10, Rakgare said they were banking on the association to boost the country’s bid when submitted.

“We would also bank on you to ensure there is a team ready to take on the continental powerhouses and not only add to the numbers.

Who can forget the determination and grit we showed ahead of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations?

I have no doubt that with proper structures, we can do far better by 2027,” he said.

Furthermore, he said with preparations for the 2027 AFCON and other international events Botswana wished to host, stakeholders should see  growth in the number of professional footballers and other athletes as well as increasing employment numbers in the process.

If Botswana was to host AFCON and other events, he said sports followers the country would attract, would not only be sport tourists but potential consumers of other types of tourism activities in future; thereby contributing to the country’s GDP.

On grass development, Rakgare said the association needed systems and processes that would ensure that year in year out, they produced quality players to qualify for major junior football tournaments at CAF and FIFA levels such as Under-17 and Under-20 events.

He said it would be far-fetched for the country to hope to qualify for FIFA World Cup, when juniors had not played at youth events.

As such, he encouraged football stakeholders to apply their minds and explore ways of transforming performances of junior national teams, both boys and girls.

“When we churn out good players at youth level year in year out, we will no doubt grow the love and support of what the great Brazilian legend, Pele, called the ‘Beautiful Game’ in our great Republic,” he said.

Good governance, he said influenced organisation’s set objectives and helped achieve them and also by outlining rules and procedures and assisting to determine means for optimising and evaluating performance.

“While still in its nascent stage, our football has already demonstrated that with proper nurturing, it can impact thousands of lives positively, play a big role in events-based tourism as well as contribute to the diversification of our economy; all of which is contemplated by our National Vision 2036,” he said.

Rakgare said last week, there was a webinar for Sub-Saharan sport organisation on sport integrity; particularly the Manipulation of Sport Competitions.

He said he was happy that Botswana had representation from diverse sectors, including law enforcement, anti-corruption and sport; and most importantly, that BFA was a participant.

“It is a fact that we cannot run way from match fixing, illegal betting and general corruption in sport.

However, we must put in place systems and structures to preserve the integrity of football in Botswana,” he said.

He said Botswana already had cases of match fixing, adding that while individuals may have been tried and sanctioned for that, many others could probably be getting away with it undetected.

“It is against that backdrop that I fervently hope the good ladies and gentlemen elected will not only talk about these issues in hushed tones, but ensure that there are deliberate and concrete steps towards raising awareness, putting detection and reporting systems in place and pushing for promulgation of appropriate laws,” he said

He said Botswana had suffered its fair share of shame from doping scandals adding that they could  not allow another vice to rear its ugly head in sport.

He said manipulation of competitions, doping and other vices were not only dangers to the athletes, but they also cause irreparable harm to sport. ENDS