BONGANI MALUNGA
Botswana Football Association president Maclean Letshwiti officially announced his candidacy for next year’s BFA Elections this past weekend. The reigning BFA president stated his intentions at the BFA Annual General Assembly at Tlotlo Hotel and Conference Center on Saturday.
Letshwiti had previously been tight lipped about his intentions but he informed the BFA’s General Assembly that he will be in contention to retain his position. “I am bullish about the future of Botswana football, and I am glad to announce that I am running for the presidency in the elections next year,” said Letshwiti during his final remarks to those in attendance.
Letshwiti had previously stated, back in 2016, that he would only be in charge of the association for one term but those in his inner circle and regions at large urged him to run for the presidency again and he duly obliged. Continuing where he left off and finishing his projects is the main reason why Letswhiti is running for office again according to his acquaintances.
The race for the presidency is set to be yet another big name battle as former BFA president Tebogo Sebego is also said to be considering running for the coveted position next year. Sebego has publicly acknowledged that he is considering his options as well.
Recent exchanges between the Sebego and Letshwiti camps in relation to election build ups has given a preview of yet another tightly contested battle with accusations of purges dominating. Sebego sympathisers are of the view that they are being pushed out while Letshwiti sympathisers are adamant that they are getting rid of wrongdoers for the benefit of football.
The prospect of another Letshwiti-Sebego battle at the polls will be a headline grabbing spectacle, this would evoke memories of the 2016 battle between the two which required a second round of voting in which Letshwiti was declared the winner with 32 votes while Sebego garnered 28 votes in the presidential race.