THE MARES ATTRACT ATTENTION

The success of Botswana’s Senior Ladies National Football team, the Mares is likely to attract more support from the government as she is expected to officially tap into her coffers and fund the team, possibly, just as it is the case with their male counterparts, the Zebras.

Some observers believe the senior women national team has been treated as a ‘development’ side in the past years with the BFA taking care of all expenses relating to the team. The infamous misallocation saga that recently broke out within the association is said to be the consequence of BFA tapping into their reserves to fund the team since they do not have any substantial budget for the team.

The BFA is reportedly also fully responsible for the team’s camp allowances. The government, according to inside informants, only takes care of senior men national team and leaves BFA with all responsibilities for development sides. “The team has now made it to the continental football finals, so there is a need to align the teams’ funding model with that of the Zebras and fund it fully, including allowances. The football association should only now take care of the football management of the side whilst government takes care of the financial aspect. This team is no longer a development side, they have now joined the elite,” the informant revealed. The BFA’s Technical Director, Tshepo Mphokothi however, refutes this assessment. According to Mphokothi, the senior women national team has always received funds from government through BNSC and that reports of any disparity in terms of treatment against their senior national male counterparts are not true. “The team has been receiving financial help from government through the sports commission. Once you assemble a national team, it is treated as such. Our two senior national teams have been receiving the same treatment; it’s just that the male team had other sponsors which meant their

incentives were a bit more in terms of allowances,” Mphokothi