Mogaladi blasts BFA
Former Zebras hard-tackling defensive midfielder, Michael Mogaladi has unleashed scathing criticism toward Botswana Football Association (BFA) President Maclean Letshwiti, following Botswana’s 0-4 loss to Egypt on Tuesday evening.
Before the game, the team found itself stranded in Mauritania due to logistical failures. They only arrived in Francistown at 11:45 AM, while the 2025 AFCON qualifying match against Egypt was initially scheduled for 1530 but later pushed to 6:00 PM to accommodate the team. Several former players expressed concern that the team didn’t have enough time to rest, which could affect their performance. As predicted, Botswana suffered a heavy defeat on home soil.
A fiery Mogaladi emerged to pinpoint administrative blunders at Lekidi as the root cause. “Our current administrators have let us down. Every Motswana is concerned about the state of our football,” said the former player, who earned 54 national team caps.
He continued: “A lot is happening behind the scenes at the BFA that is troubling and must be exposed.” He accused the association of failing to adequately plan for this campaign. “Who was the assistant coach against Egypt? Da Rosa left without any of his assistant coaches. When the draw was announced, we should have sat down and strategized as coaches. This shows we never had a plan. If you don't plan, you fail.”
Mogaladi, now coaching Pula Roofing Football Club, having narrowly missed First Division qualification twice, is convinced that interference from higher-ups is sinking the nation’s football. “There is a lot of interference by administrators and the president. We need to change our leadership,” he said.
The Rakhuna-born Mogaladi, who also represented Botswana at the junior national level, believes the nation must have an open dialogue about the incompetence plaguing football leadership. He suggests that the government should be informed of the state of affairs in football. “How can the government not interfere when its resources are being wasted and abused? We only complain when it doesn't suit certain people.”
Another Former Zebras International who preferred anonymity added: “We have been talking about these for a very long time and no one wanted to talk about them. There is a big problem at the BFA and we have been silent about it. Our biggest problem is that we have self seeking individuals that are running our football while our the game on its own is in ruins. We hope that everyone who has been tasked with the responsibility of running football in this country do think about the future of football on Saturday.”
Meanwhile, Vice President of the Footballers Union of Botswana (FUB), Lesego Molemogi, told this publication that they are awaiting answers from the BFA. “We will engage with the Association. Our mandate is to advocate for the rights and welfare of players. We already have some information on what happened, but we are awaiting official engagement.”
According to sources within the Association, some players threatened not to play, feeling they were unprepared to face a team as strong as Egypt. It’s said that some players have vowed not to return to the national team unless things are fixed.
Mogaladi and FUB’s comments are expected to resonate at the Palapye International Convention Centre (PICC) this weekend, as the BFA holds its elective congress. Incumbent Letshwiti faces stiff competition from Masego Ntshingane and Tariq Babitseng.