FIFA President Gianni Infantino firmly believes football in Botswana will continue on its upward trajectory after meeting Botswana Football Association (BFA) President Oabile Babitseng on the sidelines of the 46th CAF Ordinary General Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Elected in September 2024, President Babitseng has a wealth of experience in football administration to call upon and previously held a number of roles at the BFA, notably strengthening the financial stability of domestic competitions by securing sponsorship from major companies.

He now intends to use funding from the third phase of the FIFA Forward Development programme, which totals up to USD 8 million per FIFA Member Association from 2023 through to the end of 2026, to bring to fruition his projects for football in Botswana.

“I was very happy to meet the Botswana Football Association President, Oabile Babitseng, and General Secretary, Mfolo Mfolo,” said the FIFA President, “and I congratulated President Babitseng on his recent election to the role and I am certain his long and impressive connection to football will serve him well”.

The meeting was also attended by FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström, FIFA Director Member Associations Africa Gelson Fernandes, FIFA Director Member Associations Europe Elkhan Mammadov and Senior Football Advisor Youri Djorkaeff.

“I was particularly delighted to hear of his commitment to youth development, women’s football, and improving accessibility to our beautiful game across Botswana with the development of regional technical centres,” the FIFA President added “With the support of the FIFA Forward Development programme, I am certain he will lead football in Botswana in the right direction and ensure they achieve their goals, including spreading the game to all parts of the country.”

FIFA Forward funds helped enhance facilities at the Lekidi Football Centre in the capital of Botswana, Gaborone, by enabling the construction of an artificial pitch in 2018. President Babitseng emphasised the need for further technical centres across the southern African country with plans for an elite-level facility in the northern city of Kazungula already in place.

“In Botswana, we do have talent that needs to be nurtured, and the key to doing that is to invest in infrastructure,” he said. “We are working hand in hand with the Government of Botswana to develop men’s, women’s and youth football. I would also like to us to explore more opportunities to grow the game with FIFA.”

Investing in youth leagues across all 17 regions under the BFA’s jurisdiction is another priority, mirroring the BFA’s long-standing focus on grassroots growth. FIFA and the BFA have been collaborating since 2019, notably through the FIFA Football for Schools initiative, to bring football into the domestic education system, while the FIFA Talent Development Scheme was launched in Botswana in April 2023.

Women’s football is also a key area of expansion. Thanks to FIFA providing refereeing equipment in April 2023, women’s regional leagues were given a boost, while the country’s leading women’s football advocate, Tsholofelo Setlhoko, has credited FIFA’s Women in Football Leadership Programme with empowering women and the women’s game.

“Football is growing in Botswana presently as we are on the verge of qualifying for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 and the FIFA World Cup respectively. Our women’s teams are also performing better and shall continue to improve,” explained the BFA President.

“I’m very confident that we shall work together to develop football not only in Botswana but also in the rest of Africa. Together, we can better our football and we are willing to be part of the journey in growing football to leave a lasting legacy in our continent.”