TAYLOR TAKES CHARGE

At the start of the month, Goaba Taylor scored a spectacular history-making goal for women by becoming the Botswana Football Association’s (BFA) first female CEO.

Indeed, the 42-year-old is the first lady to assume such a role in the whole of Africa!

With league action confined to the sidelines for over a year, and the men’s national team on a disastrous run, Taylor faces a tough task to restore public faith in the beautiful game.

However, tough tasks are what the mother-of-four lives for.

Armed with an impressive corporate background, including managerial stints at Econet Media and BTCL, as Taylor tells DANIEL CHIDA in this exclusive interview, she is confident Botswana football will be a very different proposition when her contract as CEO comes to an end in three years’ time.

Congratulations on becoming the first female CEO of a football association in Africa. How does it feel to make history?

It’s exciting but I must confess it’s scary, too. It is a lot of pressure; one, from the excitement and attention it has brought across the continent and, secondly, from the fact that there has been so many women movers and shakers in football across several structures in football administration in Africa. I’m humbled by the recognition but what is most important is to bring a positive impact into the development and promotion of football in Botswana.

Football is full of politics, how do you plan to counter that?

Football is in the hearts and minds of many people across the world and Batswana love football equally the same. Where there are many stakeholders in the ecosystem, the expectations are high and as a result politics kick in. It’s important to ensure the expectations of all stakeholders are adequately managed and this will require some form of multi-tasking and a balance of priorities to deliver on the interest of all stakeholders. It is not about countering that but more about creating a balance for all.