Football’s crucial moment

Every four years, football meets to elect leaders to drive forward the most popular game’s mandate. Football has been regarded as a religion in most parts of the world, and Botswana is no exception.

The game enjoys elevated status, and its impact on the lives of both the young and old is evident.

Scores are employed as a result of a game that has evolved from being a pastime to a critical sector in the economy.

FIFA’s multi billion revenues are evidence of the power and influence football carries.

As Botswana kick-starts a transformation agenda, sport, and in particular, football, can be used as one of the key drivers.

This is why tomorrow’s virtual Botswana Football Association (BFA) Ordinary General Assembly has a significant meaning.

Football activities have been forced to take a sabbatical due to the effects of COVID-19. But amid all the gloom, the football fraternity remains sanguine.

In the boardroom, the planning and strategizing must go on as it is crucial, that when football finally returns, it does so refreshing wholesome changes.

Over the years, administrators have been accused of adopting a lackadaisical approach to football.

Football politics has often taken centre stage to the complete detriment of progress.

Ascendancy to the elected position has been mistaken for “our time to eat.”

Tenders are dolled out to kith and kin, while the politics of patronage is usually at the core of the running of the game.

Successive football leaders have been guilty of committing these odious crimes. Leaders see their time in charge as a glorious opportunity to plunder, and thriftiness eludes them. Esoteric favours take precedence, with the ‘inner circle’ the only beneficiaries while football occupies the backseat.

Often in the run-up to elections, deeper pockets emerge victorious. There is little brawn; instead it’s about the politics of the stomach. Precious football time is lost.

The lost moments are inevitably never retrieved, and football suffers irreversible damage.

The current BFA leadership believes it has put football on a sound footing, arguing, it inherited an insolvent organization and turned the situation around.

But rivals, contend the game has regressed.

It is not for anyone, but the football delegates who would converge at four different locations around the country tomorrow, to pass judgment.

As the delegates pick up the pen and paper to cast their votes tomorrow, it is critical that they put football first.

We urge them to scrutinize candidates, and elect an impeccable team that would unflinchingly carry the football torch.

Merit and nothing else, should be the determining factor for one to secure the keys to Lekidi Centre.