Exploring strategies of grassroots development that have been successful in other countries, recognising football’s potential as a catalyst for sports tourism, and growing the women’s game are among lessons that the BFA has drawn from the FIFA summit in the US this week
TLOTLO KEBINAKGABO
Starting from the grassroots, Botswana is embracing global strategies to transform its football landscape, the president of Botswana Football Association (BFA), Oabile Tariq Babitseng, has said.
Speaking from the FIFA Executive Football Summit 2025 that was held Monday at the Grand Beach Hotel Surfside in Miami, USA Babitseng emphasised that aligning domestic priorities with global best practices is essential for long-term progress.
“The FIFA Executive Committee Summit provides a critical platform for us to engage directly with global football stakeholders,” he said in a telephone interview. “One of our primary goals is to explore innovative grassroots development strategies that have been successful in other countries.”
Youth academies
He highlighted Botswana’s urgent need to build a stronger foundation through youth academies, talent identification and community-based football programmes.
“We aim to return with actionable insights and strategic partnerships that will strengthen our grassroots structures,” he said, pointing to the FIFA Forward Programme as a core funding and technical support mechanism.
But while international knowledge is vital, Babitseng stressed that domestic alignment – particularly from the government – is non-negotiable for implementation. “For us to succeed, our key stakeholders, especially the government, must be on the same page,” he said.
Across all sectors
“Stadiums and public sports infrastructure must be made available and accessible at no cost to the association. This is a global practice – one that we see in progressive footballing nations.”
Babitseng said BFA will actively engage all relevant stakeholders to create an enabling environment where Botswana’s footballers can flourish. “This is about national alignment,” he noted. “The success of our athletes requires a collaborative effort across all sectors.”
Babitseng added that Botswana is positioning itself as an engaged FIFA member association, actively pursuing twinning partnerships and collaborations in coaching, infrastructure and digital transformation.
Strategic ties
“We’re in talks with federations that have successfully scaled their ecosystems,” he said. “We’re also pushing for expanded funding through the FIFA Forward initiative.”
Highlighting football’s global influence beyond the pitch, Babitseng said Botswana must recognise football’s potential as a catalyst for sports tourism.
“We’ve seen countries like Hungary, Spain, and France do this successfully. With the right planning and government cooperation, sports tourism can become a viable economic sector,” he said.
The women’s game
Babitseng confirmed that the summit also addressed women’s football, which was relevant to Botswana where global strategies to grow the women’s game are being integrated.
“We’re committed to strengthening our women’s league by providing better coaching opportunities for women and ensuring consistent exposure for women’s national teams,” he said.