No money for diamond teams
Orapa and Galaxy might not get financial assistance for CAF campaign
Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) does not have any arrangement to give financial aid to Jwaneng Galaxy and Orapa United, teams bound for the CAF’s 2021/22 Champions League and Confederations Cup respectively.
“We currently don’t have funding arrangement for these competitions. As such we consider each case on its merits and also based on whether or not we have resources to assist,” said BNSC mouthpiece, Modiri Ontitile in a brief interview.
Despite the teams acceding to the Botswana Football League (BFL) and Botswana Football Association (BFA)’s call to compete in the two tournaments, both Galaxy and United still require a lot of cash injection in this endeavor.
CAF competitions are very taxing considering the poor transport network in Africa that leads to teams incurring high travel costs. In the past, the then title sponsor, be Mobile set aside P100 000 grant for the African football interclub campaign.
According to BFA spokesperson, Tumo Mpatane, there will be no financial support from the association to the teams. “The BFA will not be assisting the clubs financially,” he said. There are fears that the country’s representatives are likely to opt out of the tournament at the eleventh hour when logistical preparations become unbearable and this could lead to sanctions by the continental body.
Mpatane said: “Associations which withdraw after a draw has been conducted are the ones that get penalized whilst those that decline just lose their slot to others who are interested in participating,”
Last season, Botswana was represented by Galaxy and United in both tournaments by virtue of being premier league and FA cup champions by the time the football season was abandoned. While Orapa United was knocked out on the first round games by AS Kigali, Galaxy was kicked out by Mamelodi Sundowns in the second round. Though the Jwaneng side was subsequently relegated to the Confederations Cup, their journey was once more short-lived as another South African Premier Soccer League side; Orlando Pirates disposed them off the tournament.