BFA resuscitates Women's football

The women football league rose from the proverbial ashes this past weekend in Tswapong and Kweneng regions while Gaborone and other regions are expected to begin this week. The women league has been in comatose for months. The resuscitation of the Women’s league gives hope to local players who were left scratching their heads after the Botswana Football Association canned their women structures.

Speaking to Sun Sports this week, women national team coach Gaolethoo Nkutlwisang said it was high time they began playing saying the absence of the league killed the women game altogether locally.However, her biggest worry is that the league is still operating without a sponsor, she said the situation is most likely to weigh heavily on the teams.

“We need to go on a serious hunt for a sponsor because that was one of the reasons that led to the league being suspended,” she said.She called on Botswana Football Association (BFA) to up their game arguing that if the BFA leadership manages to find sponsors for the men’s league, then it should not so hard to find sponsorship for the ladies side.Nevertheless Nkutlwisang said there is need to reinforce measures as coaches. “We have to produce quality players who will convince sponsors that there is potential in our players, this will in the long run benefit the national team too,” she said.

Nkutlwisang also noted that they look forward to playing a beautiful game of football early next because since they returned from COSAFA Championships, they have been doing nothing. On the other hand, the under 20 women team coach Jacqueline Gaobinelwe said the league will assist in keeping their athletes in action, noting that it will make players ready for any national duty call up. Gaobinelwe was recently disappointed when BFA decided to withdraw the U-20 Women’s football team from the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women World Cup Qualifiers.

“It is my hope that they have sorted out all the issues that have been plaguing the league because they took a significant amount of time revamping. Meanwhile BFA Chief Executive Officer Mfolwe Mfolwe said they have not secured a sponsor yet, however it is one of the issues on the table. Mfolwe explained that they have resorted to playing regional football in the first year to reduce costs because they are currently financial constrained. “We are currently playing regional football, teams will be promoted to the National first division and ultimately the super /elite league.” However, the BFA CEO noted that everything will be determined by the number of teams playing, arguing that women have few teams as compared to men.