The Botswana Football Association (BFA) is committed to supporting the women's national team, the Mares, in their preparations for the upcoming Women's African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) tournament in Morocco. The BFA has laid out a plan to raise 10 million pula through a campaign to help the team prepare for the competition.
The Mares have already qualified for the tournament after beating Kenya in a two-legged tie with an aggregate score of 2-1. President McLean Letshwiti has pledged his support for the team and expressed his confidence in their ability to compete at the highest level.
During a media briefing on Wednesday, Letshwiti announced that the association is launching a campaign to raise 10 million pula to support the Mares.
Letshwiti stated that the money will be used to help the team prepare for the 2023 Women's African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) tournament, which will be held in Morocco next year.
The President stressed the importance of providing adequate preparation for the team in order to compete at the highest level.
“One of our biggest priorities is to raise money for our national teams. We have struggled in the past with not having enough preparation time, so we are launching a campaign to raise 10 million pula for both the men's and women's national teams. This is what we need to achieve our goals,” he said.
The President explained that an international consultant will be working with the BFA's marketing team and the Chief Executive Officer to launch the fundraising campaign. While the majority of the work will be done domestically, the campaign will also target international donors in order to reach the goal of raising 10 million pula. The President emphasized the importance of a coordinated and comprehensive approach to the campaign, in order to ensure its success.
“We want to promote the Mares, to show the world that they are worth investing in. They are a valuable commodity, and we believe we can raise the money we need to support them. I have friends and connections around the world who I know will be interested in helping us,” Letshwiti said.
“In addition, our relationship with Morocco will provide us with accommodation during our training camp there. The Mares are a great team, and they deserve to be treated like the stars they are. With the right preparation and support, they will be able to perform at their best on the international stage,” he added.
He expressed his desire to secure the support of the private sector, as well as the participation of all Batswana, to ensure the success of the fundraising campaign. He explained that the campaign would have a detailed plan, which would be made public once it was launched.
Letshwiti also mentioned that the team's preparations would include three international training camps, which would require significant financial resources. He emphasized that the support of the private sector and the people of Botswana is vital to the team because they will now have enough resources to prepare.
