Optimism over football returns
Football mulls over return to play strategy
There is currently optimism in the air with regards to the return of mainstream football action following a protracted lockdown caused by the devastating effects of the COVID 19 pandemic. The Botswana Football Association (BFA) recently made a presentation to the Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) further fuelling optimism among football supporters. This week a clandestine football program was leaked to the media further compounding hope that action in the pitch will return within months.
Nevertheless, a safe progressive return to play strategy has been considered by the BFA, with principles set to be applied across, with specific considerations and demands to curb the spread of the virus.
With sports authorities having recently met to discuss the Return To Play Plan through virtual meeting this past week a leaked competitions document suggested that the Regional Cups will begin on the 5th of June before Season 2 of the Orange FA Cup quarterfinals on 24th and 25th of June. The FA Cup Semifinals will be on the weekend of 31st July and 1st August while the Final will be on August 7.
BFA Competitions Manager, Setete Phuthego said the submissions have the technical plan from the start of training to testing of players, “we will have regional leagues, and the teams will play in their respective regions.”
Meanwhile, the 2021/2022 Season will start on August 16th, just a week after the BFA General Assembly. The competitions lined up include the Botswana Football League, Botswana Youth Football League, Botswana Football Regional Leagues, Botswana First Division League, Botswana Women’s League and the Orange FA Cup. The season is expected to draw down the curtain in May 2022.
Quizzed about the developments and the progress since the submission to BNSC, BFA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Goabaone Taylor had this to say. “We are still in talks with BNSC and we don’t know what will be their response.We need time to engage with the BNSC and then we can update further,” she said in an interview this week.
“The meeting was last week Wednesday and we just came back from a holiday and we need to understand that this is work in progress; we have to take the plan through the minister and get to know if it’s a yes or a no and then we will take it from there.”
The BFA, led by Tico Kamati, made a presentation to the BNSC on how the BFA will return to play and also demonstrated how the resumption of training will be conducted in a phased approach, including how training will be organized in line with the
BFA Return to Play Guidelines. This plan covers how testing will be conducted during training sessions and on match days to ensure the safety of all against the prevailing circumstances.