BFA extends helping hand to BFL
Reports have emerged that Botswana Football Association (BFA) National Executive Committee (NEC) have approved a loan of around P500 000.00 to Botswana Football League (BFL).
The developments come on the backdrop of several reports from within football circles which implied that the financial status of the local top league were in ‘red’ status.
According to close sources to the league office, on the 11th of July 2025, the league had a little over P200 000.00 in their account which was confirmed through a bank statement requested ahead of a board meeting on the 12th of the same month.
“It is true, the BFL engaged with us over the issue, requesting at least P500 000.00. Football is expensive and the chance to run on a deficit are more often than not, very likely to happen. BFL has assisted BFA previously, particularly, during the CAF security workshop which was held in Francistown,” a high ranked source at the BFA told this publication.
The developments have been confirmed by the association’s chairman of Finance and Marketing Committee, Bathusi Rathiri, who further reiterated that transactions between the two entities are not unprecedented.
“Earlier this month [August] the transaction was completed so it is true, BFL reached out to the association in July and the NEC approved the request. The BFL, though autonomous, they are not entirely independent from us, they are still our structure,” Rathari confirmed.
The BFA at the annual general gathering held in Jwaneng last weekend reported a deficit of over P300 000.00, which was seen as a relief considering the previously reported deficit of P5 million.
“This loan should and will in no way hurt our cash-flow; currently we don’t have cash-flow problems. We recently received our subvention from CAF and the money should be enough to carry us until the end of the year. So honestly, there is nothing wrong with lending one of our structures the money,” Rathari explained.
The association’s chairman of Finance and Marketing further advised that, transactions of loans between football structures should be prioritized ahead of commercial banks' financial assistance.
“At times when the BFA itself has got issues with their cash-flow, short-term loans from commercial banks become a solution, while some of our structures; be it the regions or the BFL, have millions in their accounts. Short-term loans from banks is not sustainable so, to me there is no problems for football structures to be interdependent,” Rathari stated. The financial management and operations at the BFL remains a topic of discussion by some shareholders who are concerned that the league may struggle to manage or operate in the near future as securing sponsorship for the league is proving to be a daunting task.