13 Oct 2025

A new era of influence beckons as Botswana football visionaries secure international appointments to influence FIFA standing committees as the Football eSports Committee vice chairperson and Grassroots and Amateur Football Committee member.

The simultaneous elevation of Botswana Football Association (BFA)’s president, Tariq Babitseng and his deputy, Tico Kamati, signals more than just personal success, but marks a strategic gain for the country.

By securing seats on committees dealing with both the future (eSports) and the foundation (grassroots) of football, Babitseng and Kamati are now directly influencing global policy to ensure that the nation’s voice resonates in the corridors of power at the highest level of the world’s most popular sport.

Their selection is a clear indication that Botswana continues to produce not just passionate, but exceptionally astute sport leaders ready to shape the global game.

Babitseng, on one hand, not only ascends to the prestigious title of eSports committee vice person, but makes history by becoming the first African to sit on the crucial body and places Botswana and the continent at the forefront of football’s digital transformation.

In an interview, Babitseng says his appointment is a profound vote of confidence from FIFA.

“I think they saw me and they wanted to give me something that will challenge me, because they know we are the leaders of the next generation,” he says.

Outlining his mandate, Babitseng says he desires to steer football into the burgeoning digital space. FIFA, he explains, is preparing African leaders for the future by showing them new, lucrative avenues for revenue. He adds that eSports, the competitive world of video gaming, is no longer a niche interest, but a billion-dollar industry.“You might have witnessed kids buying players and team selection online. That is what we call eSports,” he says.

Babitseng is charged with transforming football off the pitch and focus predominantly on the gaming sector. He plans to ensure football capitalises on its immense global brand, much like basketball does with its legends.

“There is basketball which we are not part of and they were busy selling the games and people are buying Shaquille O’Neal and now we want to gain something from our product as well,” he said.

Further, Babitseng says his appointment is a blessing for both Botswana and Africa. “Remember, I am currently the first African to be in that committee, however our mandate is to help and introduce e-sport to the whole world. We will have to trickle it down to the 54 CAF countries,” he says as he describes the appointment not just as a personal triumph, but as an opportunity to introduce and expand the eSports economy across Africa.

On one hand, as a Grassroots and Amateur Football Committee member, Kamati, who oversees BFA’s technical matters, joins a committee that is vital to the sport’s health and focuses on development and sustainability at its fundamental levels.

Kamati, whose appointment came alongside that of former BFA president Tebogo Sebego, who joined the Appeals Committee, sees this as undeniable proof of FIFA’s faith in Botswana’s administrative capacity.

The role places him at the global policy level, a chance he intends to fully leverage. Kamati believes this experience will sharpen his abilities and provide an opportunity to network and learn from the world’s best administrators.

The benefits, he stresses, will flow directly back to the country.

“Even the country would benefit given that they would be having someone at the policy level,” he says and adds that the appointment is a strategic win for Botswana’s long-term football development and international influence. ENDS