Ex-sport Minister wants BFA plum post
Sport
Former Member of Parliament for Shoshong Phillip Makgalemele is believed to have held wide-ranging talks with Botswana Football Association (BFA) leadership about possibilities of assuming the portfolio of the chief executive officer, this publication has learnt.
The consultative dialogues are said to have transpired way before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Sources speaking with WeekendSport indicate that Makgalemele, whose sport resume is second to none, left BFA leadership thinking hard about the next move.
Makgalemele served as BFA president on two spells, between 1998 and 2008, on either side of David Fanis first term. His knowledge about the domestic game is, without doubt, top notch. Further, he has served the country as the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, a role when blended with his quick grasp of football politics, marks him as the best mould BFA could need from the CEO.
However, it is believed that the BFA leadership has, to this date, failed to make a strong pronouncement about the way forward. The association rational is met by certain familiar opposition from pressure group that does not adore Makgalemeles name.
According to sources, it is claimed that they are no trappings of sport success left by the former minister despite having held influential positions before. Makgalemele is therefore seen to employing the same strategy that catapulted to him the high echelons of Botswana sport. He was the casualty of the 2019 general elections having lost his beloved parliamentary seat to Aubrey Lesaso of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC).
While it is mentioned that the BFA leadership admire prospects of working the Makgalemele, there remains a stumbling block at the thought of the current chief executive officer, Mfolo Mfolo.
It is claimed that BFA boss, Maclean Letshwiti has hope of the man he pin pointed to head the secretariat of the association. Of late, however, pressure has been piling both on the back of Letshwiti and Mfolo. Calls were vociferous that Letshwiti should fire Mfolo and look elsewhere.
Some within the association also claim that Makgalemeles move to the post will still hit another hurdle should Letshwiti sanction it. It is claimed that he has a tainted history with the current Minister of Sport, MacDonald Tumiso Rakgare. Sometimes back, Makgalemele successfully sued Rakgare for defamation when the latter was a sport journalist.
The CEO post is one difficult position that has given the associations adjudicators sleepless nights from time immemorial. Except for Thabo Ntshinogang and Ashford Mamelodi, no any other CEO had managed to complete their three year tenure with the association, often times riddled by factions.
The fall of Mfolo from grace will brings to eight the number of failed BFA CEOs. Duncan Kgame, Keith Masters, Thuso Dikgaka, Judge Mookodi, Mooketsi Kgotele and Kitso Kemoeng, Ookeditse Malesu are among the CEOs who failed to see through their contractual agreements and instead had their contracts terminated.
Mfolo is however believed to be academically astute to direct the Letswhitis vision. His firm grasp of principle, as witnessed at a time when Township Rollers was battling identity crisis, although ending up on a losing side, has earned him screaming reputation. BFA says, Mfolo Mfolo is a focused and reliable leader by his own right having worked for government for twenty two (22) years.
He has a vast experience in Project Management, Risk Management, Monitoring and Evaluation and Quality Assurance. This resonated well with the management of BFA projects under the tutelage of FIFA and CAF. He has been involved in the circles of football as an Administrator and is credited with a Certificate in Advanced Coaching.
Mfolo was seen as an vivid administrator who is a graduate of Masters of Business Administration (MBA).He is widely versed in areas of Management, Marketing, Accounts, Economics, Finance and Company Law.
Sport
It’s do or die for Zebras
The senior national team, the Zebras, is currently in Equatorial Guinea to for an African Cup of Nations Qualifiers tie. Before they departed, the team’s coach, Mogomotsi Mpote, had his troops train in Morocco. This was through the agreement between the two countries.
The agreement between the BFA and the Fédération Moroccan Football Association states that the two nations will work together to organize friendly matches between their respective national teams. It also allows the establishment of football camps for the youth categories (U-15, U-17, and U-20), this includes women’s national teams.
The national team has played over 180 minutes in its two qualifying matches against Tunisia and Libya. Currently, the Zebras, Lesotho and Liberia are the only teams that haven’t scored yet in the competition (this is correct by press time on Friday).
Before the match against Equatorial Guinea match, the local boys who were once known as the whipping boys of Africa in the early 2000s, were languishing at the bottom of the log standings in group J. They lost their first match away to Libya on June 1, 2022. However, they managed to salvage a point against Tunisia last year.
Before the team left for Equatorial Guinea, coach Mpote urged his players to focus on keeping their hopes of making a return trip to the AFCON finals alive after an 11 year absence since the maiden appearance in 2012. He noted that they would not allow their opponents to score and would ensure that they would get a draw.
Despite the various changes that have occurred in the two countries’ football landscape, the two teams have only met once before. In 2010, the local boys defeated the Equatorial Guinea team in a friendly match, which ended in an emphatic win for the visitors. Since then, the two sides have realised different fortunes in FIFA rankings, with Equatorial Guinea ranked 51 places above the Zebras.
Meanwhile, in their last six games, Guinea has only managed to win one of them. They drew with Rwanda and Togo in September 2022 friendlies. They have found the back of the net just twice in their six games. On the other hand, the Zebras, won one match against Zambia and lost four on their way to finishing at the bottom of the group with four points. At the conclusion of their previous AFCON campaign, the local boys traveled to Zambia and secured a draw.
MPOTE CONFIDENT
Despite the recent results of the Guinean team, which have only managed to draw with Rwanda and Togo in their last six matches, coach Mpote is still confident that his team will perform well against the hosts.
According to the head coach, the local boys have the necessary skills and resources to perform well against any country. He noted that the team’s coaches have been studying abroad to gain a deeper understanding of the various aspects of football.
“Tactically they should also be ready. We need your (Botswana fans) usual support, when we come back from Equatorial Guinea, we will go to Francistown, and we will need you. You are our 12th player, and you are very important to us.”
OBED ITANI CHILUME STADIUM CERTIFIED
This week, the Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) Tuelo Serufho revealed that the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium will host the return leg of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between the local boys and Equatorial Guinea. The venue had initially failed an inspection test conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). However, following the completion of the necessary works, the stadium was allowed to host the match.
According to BNSC Chief, Tuelo Serufho, the various requirements that the stadium must meet included having a designated parking area for the media and spectators, as well as having signage that will guide the spectators. He also noted that the venue now has a world-class media area.
Sport
Jagdish Shah rejects Rollers society
Township Rollers, one of the country’s most decorated football clubs with 15 premier league titles, is finding itself in a precarious situation as its long-term chief financier, Jagdish Shah, threatens to dump them if the society does not bow down to his demand of forfeiting their 20 percent interest in the company.
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Sport
Orange injects P350 000 into Phikwe marathon
Mobile network Orange Botswana is committed to supporting the development of local sport. Through its sponsorship, the company will be able to promote and market the sport. According to Maano Masisi, the company believes that sport can unite people from different backgrounds.
He stated that through the sponsorship of the marathon, the company will help promote healthy lifestyles and unity among the people of Selebi Phikwe.
The Selebi Phikwe Marathon is scheduled to take place on July 29, 2023. It is expected that it will attract international, regional, and social runners. A total of P216 000 has been allocated for the prize money for the first ten places in the 42.2 km race. For the 15km and 10km races, the LOC will give away prizes to the first five places.