Sponsorship windfall for BFA in 2018
Botswana Football Association (BFA) had a good year in 2018 as the Association received millions in sponsorships and donation deals. The money believed to have been received by the Association hovers in the region of P35m for one season.
Local supermarket Choppies announced a P 3.7 million hospitality deal with BFA back in February. The Choppies sponsorship was meant to assist the national youth male development teams and will be used in a period of three years. On the 3rd of December, BFA pocketed a gallant P12.6 million from Orange Botswana and another impressive P 3 million from First National bank Botswana (FNBB) rolled into BFA coffers exactly three days later. Both sponsorships are also set to be used in a period of three years.
Still on that, a month back, XL Skyways also came forward with a P 750 000 donation specifically to be channelled towards youth development and women’s league, the funds will also be used in a period of three years, (P250 000 per season).The 2018 signed deals by BFA add to the existing three- year P39 Million (P13 million per season) BTC Premiership league sponsorship and the P 3 million of pre- season tournament, the BTC Charity Cup (P1 million per season). There is also the Mascom Top 8 tournament sponsored by Mascom Wireless which splashed P 16 million towards the games, also to be used in a period of three years (P5.3 million for season 8).
In addition, the umbrella sports body being the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) also dishes out P 10 million to BFA, although the grant was reduced to 7 million for the year 2018. There are also grants from the International football governing body (FIFA).
Undoubtedly, BFA remains the biggest financially supported code in Botswana and according to the Association, a chunk of the received funds is for development purposes. Currently the national team is ranked 145 according to FIFA rankings. Botswana recently bowed out of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, both the senior and junior team. At the on -going African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Gaborone 2018 youth games, Botswana boys won against Namibia but lost to Eswatini and drew with Zambia. However all was not enough for the boys and they bowed out of the competition on goal rule.
The girls drew against Malawi, walloped Zimbabwe and went on to be humiliated by Lesotho with a 6-0 defeat. It remains to be seen if performance will change in terms of play anytime soon during the Maclean Letshwiti regime. Letshwiti, when ascending to the BFA presidency, promised that he will make a turnaround at the association and it seems they are doing well in the sponsorship end.