The Botswana Football Association’s (BFA) FIFA approved and funded programme dubbed Administration and Management Course – Operation Time For Change, for the Central and North Regional Football Association (FA) came to a resounding end yesterday (Friday) at Majestic Hotel in Palapye.

The five-day rigorous training which commenced on Monday was aimed at endowing leaders of football clubs to effectually grow football from grassroots level and administer it with indispensable proficiency.

Furthermore, it was intended to achieve a renewal in terms of how football is managed at all levels throughout the country, facilitated by FIFA instructor and consultant, Ashford Mamelodi of Mamelodi Consulting.

Ashford Mamelodi

Some of its objectives include the empowerment of leaders, both Regional Structures and Clubs, on the management of the game; engaging participants on the importance of Stakeholder management, as well as identifying for further training prospective national course instructors in Administration and Management, with a view that once qualified, they will continue to train up and coming Administrators in the Regions on football administration.

Operation Time for Change has impacted all the BFA’s 17 regions, with the just ended one for the Central and North Regional FA being the last one.

When officially closing the weeklong and successful engagement, BFA National Executive Committee (NEC) Board Member, Tico Kamati said the secretariat optimally sees the need to empower its regional structures as this further helps galvanize all efforts by the FA to commercialize local football.

BFA CEO, Goabaone Taylor

Kamati added that when the regional structures become well equiped with modern day techniquesincluding commercial proven methods, the FA will run smoothly and easily turn into a commerciallyviable entity.

“Our mandate as the BFA is to develop football and it has to start from our regions. We are privileged to be one of the first countries to be enrolled by FIFA on this course. We therefore as the FA moved swiftly to include all our stakeholders such as BISA, BOTESSA, BOPSA, FUB and others to enroll in this course to cordially be at par with the drive football needs in order to turn commercial. The project covered all the 17 regions with over 600 delegates and I therefore urge all the participants to share their knowledge with other football administrators so everybody is on the same page knowledge wise. The regions through further recommendation by the consultant, Mamelodi is to further elect regional coordinators who will hold workshops around this course so as to impart knowledge and skills on their peers from time to time,” said Kamati.

Renowned FIFA instructor and consultant, Ashford Mamelodi of Mamelodi Consulting who facilitated the Operation Time for Change training said thejourney to empower regional football leadership began in June 2019, with each region averaging an estimated 600 delegates.

Mamelodi said the course was rich with modules that brought all important aspects that brings up to speed the football coordination set up in the country and further thanked the FA for their well thought out assignment in the regions. He described and likened the regional administrators as pillars that the FA rely on for stability adding that they are crucial to football development as they coordinated all important segments of the game.

BFA NEC member Kamati (right) awarding certificates to one of the participants

“From the delegates who have been empowered, we are hopeful that they will impart the knowledge to others as the FA will depend on the firm regional structure development. We have to prioritize strategic planning, register players through FIFA connect and make an ecosystem that works in football. For every region that we spent 5 days, we are positive that it will be for the goodwill and betterment of football,” said Mamelodi.

One of the participants, Miscellanous Sporting Club Chairperson, Molatedi Tuwane said, “One of the things that I learnt through this course is to digitize all our information. It was well articulated and I am hopeful that our region will adhere and practice the teachings of this course. For our football to be independent we need to start at regional level with proper education and structures,” he concluded.