NFD faces club licensing challenge
The First Division north and south leagues are supposedly ready for the daunting challenge of club licensing. This announcement made this week comes when the more advanced BTC premiership clubs are struggling to impress the First Instance Body, an organisation entrusted with overseeing club licensing.
The BPL was introduced to club licensing some 12 months ago. There has been new development this week when some BPL clubs received feedback from the adjudicating authority with regards to compliance. The three national leagues will now be regulated by licensing authority to compete in BFA sanctioned competitions as per the compliance manual. The BFA licensing body will be expected to crack the whip at the National First Division league from the beginning of the 2018/19 season.
This week, the FIB chairman Mfolo Mfolo confirmed that after accessing and adjudicating at the top-flight league, his focus would shift to the FND leagues. The NFD league, which is sponsored by local mining company Debswana, is divided into north and south. Nonetheless, Mfolo commended recently promoted Uniao Flamingo Santos for having scored above all clubs at sporting criteria. “Santos have the best youth development program but they are new, they scored higher points than all BPL clubs,” said FIB chairman. Mfolo said they will effect the licensing with caution, though they won’t compromise sporting criteria, medical and financial. “If the license applicant does not fulfil any A-criteria, then it cannot be granted a license to enter the domestic club competitions,” reads the club licensing criteria. The category division for NFD clubs includes application, legal and club ownership documents and infrastructure. The club licensing system will also make life easier for clubs to comply with the Registrar of societies, in regard to submitting financials.
NFD north chairman Mpezeni Sambandawa said they have hit the ground running in preaching the message about club licensing. Reports reaching BG Sport are that the NFD league sponsors Debswana provided two administration officers to both the north and south leagues. “Some clubs are compliant, for example when Tafic joined BPL they were almost 80 percent compliant. Sua Flamingos’ and Morupule Wanderers are on track,” Sambandawa said. Nevertheless, the NFD north chairman conceded that his league affiliates have shortcomings in the medical category.
Meanwhile, NFD south chairman Samuel Keitireng concurred with his northern counterpart that the two leagues are aware. According to the NFD south chairman, the league is doing well in worthshopping and encouraging their affiliates to comply at least with minimum standards. Keitireng said his office is engaging the BFA CEOs office to facilitate employment of an administration officer. “We are working with the CEO to get a full time employee and we believe our sponsor will provide a salary”, explained Keitireng.
