Botswana league ranked 25th in Africa
Sport
The grades of various top flight leagues across the African continent have been released and Botswana premiership sits on spot number 25 of 31 countries ranked. The results mean the premiership slides one step down from last year’s position.
The rankings are implemented by the body that runs the African game known as Confederation of African Football (CAF). The body relies on a method known as CAF 5 year ranking and this is based on results from each CAF tournament (Champions League and Confederation Cup) from 2016 to 2020–21.
Botswana scored a paltry 3 points, sharing the 25th spot with the country of Togo. The last time the league scored a point was in 2018, when Township Rollers made considerable strides in the champion’s league under the stewardship of Nikola Kavazovic. The team was eventually eliminated from the CAF tournament in the group stages.
As expected, the northern countries dominate the rankings with Morocco in pole position with 160 points. Morocco is followed by Tunisia scoring 135 points, while Egypt comes third with 127 points. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), surprised many by breaking the northern monopoly. DRC is in the fourth position with 83 points, catapulted by the ever impressive performance of TP Mazembe. DRC is followed by Algeria, who completes the northern domination.
South Africa, a country where Botswana usually exports its talent to, is in the 6th position and threatens to close the gap between them and Algeria. All the while, observers believe that it is not shocking for Botswana’s league to be ranked below standard, given the recent negative publicity surrounding the game.
Although clubs are struggling to make ends meet with an economy that refuses to bloom, the elite league has always been fortunate to attract sponsors. The long-time title sponsors of the league, Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) are pulling out after a lengthy wedding that dates back as far as 2009. The association high ranking officials are promising to launch two sponsors to improve the performance of the league within the continent.
Below Botswana is Togo, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Benin, Cameroon and Gabon. It is remarkable how Botswana league has beaten these countries’ leagues, who all have made it to Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) more than once. Gabon has also hosted AFCON tournament more than once and Cameroon are the next to host in 2021. The fall of the elite league is also a result of lack of modalities in place. The league has long wanted to stand independent but there is no blue print in place to follow.
Fabian Zulu, a football commentator and also a former player who played in Botswana and Zimbabwe, said the standard of the domestic game has gone down horribly. He is of the view that results are not surprising given the conditions bedevilling the home premiership.
“First of all, I am not surprised that Botswana is falling spectacularly down. The standards have dropped horribly. Sponsors are not happy, players fail to penetrate to other markets and the league itself can no longer attract players who were in the same notch with us,” he stressed.
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Sport
AFRICA’S RECOVERY: Sports as game changer
The year 2022 witnessed unprecedented phenomena. Several Africans- Gotytom Gebreslase, Sharon Lokedi, Victor Kiplangat, Tamarit Tola and many others- swept the World’s marathons records.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting control measures implemented in several countries, led to many high-level sports competitions being cancelled or shelved, the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games was moved to 2026.
Founder and Executive Chairman, African Sports and Creative Institute, Will Mabiakop, says the inability to hold traditional and amateur sports events have had a serious effect on public health overall, including mental health, sparking a revolution whereby athletes began to talk more openly about stress, mental overload and performance anxiety.
“Africa is home to the fastest growing economies before the crisis, no longer on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). COVID-19 deepened interdependence between SDGs, making them harder to achieve, especially SDG 10 (reducing inequality) and SDG 5 (gender equality_ as the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on poorer countries, and heavier burdens (such as care work) fell to women.”
Mabiakop stresses that as policymakers contemplate actions to speed up recovery and build resilience, they must argue that sports and creative businesses should play a central feature in this effort.
“The sports economy worldwide is estimated at 5% of GDP, but only 0.5% in Africa. If exploited, Africa’s sports and creative industries can offer policymakers innovative solutions. Especially, as regards job creation, and providing employment to the 15 million people entering the job market annually.”
HOW CAN THE INDUSTRY DO THIS?
By leveraging the two-for-one concept: past studies shown that a 1% growth in the economy delivers a 2% job increment in this sector (these ratios are calculated using data from 48 African countries and adjusted to the reality of the sports economy in Africa by the authors). There are between 30 and 50 job types, in sports and creative industries, respectively. These jobs do not fade away with the first major shock.
Mabiakop indicated that policymakers can use these industries to tackle multiple crises- jobs, poverty, and climate risks. Sports diplomacy- defined as communication, representation and negotiation in or through the prism of sports- has proven effective in building inclusive and cohesive societies. Moreover, sports and the creative industry can support better mental health and well-being, both important for productivity.
“Policymakers can also be true to the game by leveraging culture and tradition to celebrate identity and reap commercial value in sports, textiles and jewelry. Creative sectors allow deeper connection with culture, are not easily copied and provide great economic potential.”
He said supporting grassroots sports has powerful distributional effects. “Fortunately, technology has made reaching wide audiences easier, generating higher rates of success when talent is discovered.”
However, Mabiakop held that potential pitfalls must be highlighted. “First avoid build it and they will come policies with infrastructures denuded from the rest of the ecosystem. Like the many sports stadiums left largely unused.”
“Policymakers must remain mindful of how these sectors move the needle in human capital development. Also, align the requisite public policies needed for progress from grassroots participation to professional sports, and even to international sporting events. They should also support investment instruments to render these sectors performant.”