REGIONAL BFA LEAGUE ON THE CARDS
The Botswana Football Association (BFA) has come up with an appealing and revamped vision that will see regional football resurrect from its deep slumber. According to the BFA Hand Book, released subsequent to the elections, Regional Football League has been played under a void with little commitment from both players, supporters, administrators and stakeholders.
“This threatened development of young players, sponsorships and in general the future of football. It is therefore prudent that the football overseer, Botswana Football Association steps up to cultivate the sporting integrity of the regional leagues competition through a competitive League that in future could draw attention to potential partnerships,” the book reads.
BFA is expected to fashion and keep up a standardized league competition framework across all its 17 regions for Division One Teams. The league would be given the name BFA LEAGUE. It would be deliberated to perk up competition, commitment and involvement. The league will be incentivized to bring on the thrill, revive the clubs, invent competition among players and clubs, progress and develop commitment, and drive player development among many other things that the association strives to achieve.
As per the norm, the regular season shall consist of two rounds, and at the end of each round the Top Four teams shall receive incentives.
Expectations are that the incentives would drive commitment and would go a long way in improving the clubs and investment in the rigorous promotion of the key derby matches in each region to hasten revival of support base and interest in Football.
On the flip side of things the handbook states that regional structures continue to follow in on the need to transform the women’s football with regions moving swiftly to having regional leagues in their systems.
“Although, not all regions have women’s football, it is commendable that some regions have made gains in ensuring that leagues are ran and completed. Regional leadership must continue to ensure that they include women’s football in their plans to develop their structures.”
The BFA on its part has employed two officers specifically to drive the women’s football agenda. Tsholofelo Setlhoko has been appointed as the manager for women’s football. Setlhoko has signed a three-year contract and will be driving the organization’s women’s football strategy.
Barobi Ngwako serves as a technical arm of the women’s football. Ngwako who is a CAF B diploma holder is a grassroots instructor in charge of advancing the technical aspects of women’s football.