GAZETTE REPORTER
Botswana Football Association (BFA) and Botswana Football League (BFL) are planning to cap their discussions by announcing a sponsor following months of engagements.
BFL has been without a title sponsor for more than two seasons now following the withdrawal of the multi-million Botswana Telecommunications Limited (BTCL).
A source says Absa Bank Botswana could be returning through a partnership model after bailing out last season.
Acting CEO at the BFL, Patrick Motsepe, has told this publication that the identity of the new partner will be made known before the end of the current campaign.
Status of the sponsorship
“I cannot disclose anything because we are waiting for a time when we can comment on the status of the sponsorship,” Motsepe said. “In short, we have potential partners who are willing to come on board to rescue our financial situation.”
Motsepe stated that lack of sponsorship for the league cannot be attributed to failure by BFL to package their products and services, noting that most businesses are still trying to recover from COVID-19 setbacks.
“We have also been affected by COVID-19, and when someone tells you that there is nothing that they can offer you, you go and try elsewhere,” he said.
He emphasised that they are finding it difficult to support league teams because there are no grants with which to do so.
No money for Man of the Match
“We do not have money for Man of the Match; not even prize money or money to run the office,” Motsepe said.
At the BFA, the Chief Executive Officer Mfolo Mfolo said all football stakeholders are worried about the lack of sponsorship.
“We are working jointly with BFL to find a title sponsor for the league and there will be a board meeting soon to discuss some of these issues,” he said. “Something will be shared soon.
“We have to understand that when teams did their club licensing, they committed to play the league with or without the sponsor but failure to have a league sponsor is definitely a serious concern for us,” said Mfolo.
He added that they had a UEFA project assist whose objective is to assist BFL to professionalise and ultimately turn the league into a commercial enterprise.
“We are still pursuing the UEFA project assist so that they ultimately reach the objective and I want to believe that we are on the right track,” Mfolo said.
He emphasised that there is need for league teams to uphold a certain of level of integrity so as to mirror their club licensing.