Football decides

After months of a riveting campaign, full of twists and turns, Botswana Football Association delegates will lay a raging contest to rest from various centres tomorrow. The eyes of the football world, would be on Botswana as the country holds a first ever virtual Ordinary General Assembly.

Incumbent president, Maclean Letshwiti would look to retain the seat for the next four years.

He, however, faces challenge from his predecessor, Tebogo Sebego and former BFA chief executive officer, Ookeditse Malesu.

The campaign has had all the ingredients of a blockbuster, with the vetting out of Sebego and Malesu adding further tension.

The two were vetted out by the BFA Elections Board before the Appeals Committee reversed the decision.

The three camps have traversed the length and breadth of the country in search of the crucial votes to take them to Lekidi Centre.

But after tomorrow, only one man and a team of elected committee members would rejoice. The meeting is held at four centres across the country due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions.

Delegates would vote at their respective centres, through the usual voting process.

“The voting process will not change. Voting is prescribed as per the BFA Constitution Article 26 read with the Electoral code Articles 14 to 26; the only variable is that voting will be conducted at four different stations and the results corroborated at the main centre,” BFA chief executive officer, Mfolo Mfolo said.

Candidates are ready to battle it out, with Malesu telling the media during his launch that he had already lined up sponsors in the event he takes over.

Sebego indicated football had slid in the last four years, as indicated by the drop in the Zebras rankings.

Letshwiti has pointed to the rot he found at BFA, as the reason why he should be allowed to continue and further clean the mess.

There is a likelihood of a new BFA committee drawn from the three camps.

Voters are drawn from the 17 regions, the Botswana Premier League, Women’s Football, and First Division North and South. Two delegates from each affiliate are expected to cast their vote.