News

BFA attend CAF’s Extra-Ordinary General Assembly

Oct 3, 2016

The BFA President, Mr. Maclean Letshwiti and his Secretary General, Mr. Kagiso Kemoeng, have just returned from Cairo, Egypt, where they attended the CAF Extra-Ordinary General Assembly on Thursday 29th September 2016.

The highlights of the Extra-Ordinary General Assembly were the election of two African Additional Members to the FIFA Council for the transitory period from 30th September 2016 to March 2017; where Messrs. Almamy Kebele Camara (the 2nd Vice President of CAF) of the Republic of Guinea and Kwesi Nyantakyi (CAF Executive Committee Member and President of Ghana Football Association) were elected with an absolute majority at first attempt ahead of their competitors, Messrs. Ahmad (CAF Executive Committee Member and President of the Madagascar Football Federation) and Augustine Senghor (President of Senegal Football Federation). Three other candidate withdrew, among them the current CAF 1st Vice President and President of COSAFA Mr. Suketu Patel of Seychelles. The other highlight was the adoption of a proposal for amendments of CAF Statutes, Regulations governing the Application of CAF Statutes and Rules and Procedure of the CAF General Assembly; all in the spirit of aligning them with the recent changes to the FIFA Statutes and Reforms.

A motion by Djibouti to have the criteria for electing the President of CAF reviewed was rejected by members. The motion sought to elect the CAF President only from people who have “…played an active role in football as an official of a member association, during four of the last five years preceding the submission of a candidacy…”.

At the beginning of the meeting, Botswana was honoured with an appointment into a four-person committee of scrutineers alongside Mauritania, Gambia and Tunisia; with the BFA Secretary General part of this team that facilitated all matters that needed a vote, including the election of the two African Additional Members into the FIFA Council.

On the sidelines of the General Assembly, the President and the Secretary General engaged with other stakeholders and their counterparts to progress the growth and development of football in Botswana, the most prominent of which was an international company that is keen to invest on a football academy in Botswana and linking it to an international academy that they host in Switzerland. Further engagements on this matter shall be in the form of a visit by the company to Botswana to have a first-hand appreciation of the BFA’s and the country’s football vision. As part of the visit, the company intends to also hold meetings with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development and other relevant stakeholders to appreciate their (stakeholders) role in the establishment of a fully-fledged football academy in the country.

As this was the current Botswana delegation’s first CAF General Assembly, the delegation embarked on a variety of meetings with their counterparts to have a full feel of issues at various international structures including, but not limited to Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA), CAF and FIFA. The delegation also separately met key officials of these bodies to appreciate how Botswana could optimally benefit from their various programmes to enhance the development and growth of football in Botswana. Following an engagement with the FIFA President, Mr. Gianni Infantino and his newly appointed Secretary General, Ms. Fatima Samoura, the Botswana delegation was invited to visit the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, for further engagements and a more detailed induction on FIFA programmes and projects for the benefit of Botswana football.

The Botswana delegation noted with appreciation that the Zebras beat Angola on penalties as part of Botswana’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations.

Up Next

Tumo Mpatane joins BFA

Don't Miss

Youth League and Cut-Off Age

News

CAF Head of Safety and Security and BFA President Pay Courtesy Visit to Police Leadership

In a significant gesture of collaboration and partnership, Dr. Christian Emeruwa, the Head of Safety and Security for the Confederation of African Football (CAF), along with Botswana Football Association (BFA) President Mr. Tariq T. Babitseng and BFA Chief Operations Officer Mr. Kago Mosinyi, paid a courtesy visit to the Botswana Police Service. The visit aimed to strengthen the relationship between the two organizations, focusing on the integral role that the police play in ensuring the safety and security of all BFA competitions.

During the visit, the delegation met with integral pool of experts a group of key police leaders, who are central to the successful execution of security operations at football events across the country. Among those present were prominent members of the Botswana Police Service, including Mr. Katlholo Mosimanegape, Deputy Commissioner of Police, and several senior officers.

These included Senior Assistant Commissioner Antony Wally (Director of Operations), Senior Assistant Commissioner Godfrey Phonchi (Commander, SSG), Senior Assistant Commissioner Boeletswe Gobotswang (Director, Departmental Services), Senior Assistant Commissioner Reginald Matlhaba (Divisional Commander, South Central), Senior Assistant Commissioner Mudongo Chitutu (Director, Crime Intelligence), and Assistant Commissioner Christopher B. Ndlovu (Deputy Director of Traffic).

The meeting was focused on discussing the coordination and support provided by the police in delivering effective safety and security measures during BFA matches, as well as future collaboration on upcoming projects. The visit highlighted the importance of this partnership in ensuring smooth and secure football matches for both players and spectators.

Both Dr. Emeruwa and Mr. Babitseng expressed their gratitude for the continued cooperation and commitment of the Botswana Police Service in safeguarding the integrity of football events and ensuring the safety of all involved.