11 Aug 2026

As Botswana football seeks to make an impact in the international space and further improve the professional and commercial operations of the national sport, grassroots development has become a critical enabler.

 These were the sentiments echoed by the Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, Tariq Babitseng during the association’s ordinary general assembly in Gaborone recently.Babitseng said the assembly theme: From Grassroots to Greatness, underscored the importance of investing in the youth towards the development of the game.“We must create the structures, pathways and opportunities that allow a young boy or girl who starts playing football at grassroots level to believe that greatness is possible,” he said.

He added that this year not only marked the 60th anniversary of Botswana as an independent nation but also the diamond jubilee of the BFA, established in 1966 as the Botswana National Football Association.

“We are custodians of a football institution that has existed for 60 years. 

The question we must ask ourselves is, what will we leave behind for the next 60 years?” he said.

The assembly, attended on behalf of government by Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs, Lesego Chombo and fraternal football partners, president of the Cameroon Football Federation, former FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Cameroon striker, Samuel Eto’o, former South African national team coach, Pitso Mosimane and South African football administrator Sibongile Marokana deliberated on levaraging on global best practice. 

A panel discussion featuring BFA and COSAFA president Babitseng, Minister Chombo, Eto’o and Mosimane deliberated on the future of football, leadership, development under the topic, From Grassroots to Greatness: Transforming Botswana Football Through Impact and Inclusion.

During the assembly delegates from across the BFA regional structures countrywide had closed door discussions, deliberating on key decisions regarding the administration of the local game. ENDS