New BFL CEO Calls for Players’ Support

Newly appointed Botswana Football League (BFL) chief executive officer (CEO), Solomon Ramochotlhwane has said there is an urgent need to provide psychological support to players. Ramochotlhwane, whose football journey and financial background are well documented, said players are biggest stakeholders in the game.

He also said the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly affected players and that there is need to provide support for them. “We need to identify players and get to find out how they have been doing under the current conditions. They have been badly affected by this pandemic,” he said. Ramochotlhwane beat other 10 local applicants for one of the high profile posts in local football administration. He is expected to start work in a month or two after officially leaving his current employer.

He said besides identifying players and their needs under the current situation, he will also immediately draw a return to action plan through the engagement of all other stakeholders. Ramochotlhwane further said the expectation from him would also be to commercialize the game through a company formed under the new autonomous structure. Although some may have been surprised by Ramochotlhwane’s appointment, those in the football fraternity, however already knew of his credentials. He has served football at almost all levels. Years ago, he played in the regional football leagues before he moved to Serowe to work as a teacher. In Serowe where he was teaching, he was also involved in the game as development coach. He currently holds a B License coaching certificate. He is a also a qualified FIFA instructor. He was the chairperson of Serowe based side, Green Lovers when it gained promotion to the Premier League years ago. Outside football, Ramochotlhwane is also a corporate person. He holds a Masters Degree is Finance. He is also a strategist.

Meanwhile, the Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, Maclean Letshwiti welcomed the appointment of Ramochotlhwane. In a statement released over the weekend, Letshwiti said Ramochotlhwane’s appointment comes at a crucial time when the BFL seeks to forge a historic transformation agenda of local football into a self sustainable entity whose mandate is essentially and solely to transform football within the requirements and objectives envisaged by both the BFA and FIFA, central to compliance and corporate governance.

“The recent appointment serves as a major vote of confidence in our young talent, which is ready and equipped to face the mandate laid ahead and to solve challenges that have historically hamstrung our commercialization efforts since the Bosele Declaration. This appointment therefore further demonstrates football leadership’s desire to unite talent and all role players in the advancement of local football,” Letshwiti said. He added that his appointment is the whole idea of embracing diversity putting aside our allegiances and differences of the past solely for purposes of a winning formula. Ramochotlhwane stood for elections as the vice president of the association last year under Team Malesu.