Letshwiti takes a jab at Govt.
President of the Botswana Football Association (BFA) Mclean Letshwiti has lashed at government for assuming that the country can do without the global football controlling body, FIFA. “Projects like the one we are witnessing today signify the importance of being a FIFA member. I have always heard people say what is the use of being a FIFA member? We can do this thing, stop being a FIFA member because there are no benefits,” said BFA president. FIFA financed BFA to construct a pitch with natural turf some years ago.
The government and BFA had been battling for the soul of football in the land with each citing its position.“These are the benefits of being FIFA member in good standing”. “All you have to do if you are smart enough as an association is to think and leave the rest to FIFA. There is a lot of assistance that we can access but we have to behave as a member”, said a confident Letshwiti. BFA had previously used another FIFA grant to construct a natural turf during David Fani`s era. The new project is called FIFA forward, which was introduced to empower member associations.
BFA is said to have committed the entire FIFA projects to youth development at the cost of P7 million, including establishing grassroots programmes across the country. Letshwiti said there is a lot of money at the international football governing body.The association has been challenged when it comes to organising and hosting national team camps. Letshwiti was giving a project overview at the ground breaking of the newly FIFA-funded project to reconstruct lawn at Lekidi. “There are significant benefits of being a member of the FIFA family. We should be proud of being a FIFA member”, said Letshwiti.
New BFA CEO Mfolo Mfolo interacted with the media for the first time since his appointment. “As head of the secretariat my main objective will be to drive the strategy and whatever we do must be guided by the strategy. We used to have a pitch that side but when you go there I don’t know whether it’s a desert or what? The contractor is said to have constructed eight similar pitches in Benin”.