The Botswana Football Association and the Federation of Morocco Football Association have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together.
Under the MoU, which was signed in Rabat, Morocco, last Thursday (March 9), both parties intend to work together for the development of football.
According to a press release from the BFA, as part of the agreement, both the BFA and the FMRF shall, among others, work together and facilitate the organisation of friendly matches of national senior, local and Olympic teams.
The agreement will also transcend to the youth set-up, where football camps for youth categories (U-15, U-17 and U-20) and women’s national teams will be organised.
“As the association, this agreement is the best thing to happen to us and we are celebrating over it. In and around May this year, we will be sending our team to Morocco in preparation for AFCON qualifiers,” BFA Public Relations Officer (PRO) Tumo Mpatane said in an interview.
Mpatane said engagements started when the BFA president Maclean Letshwiti met the Federation of Morocco Football Association president Fauzi Lekjaa way back at the AFCON finals in Gabon.
Letshwiti was then later invited by his counterpart to Morocco where the partnership agreement between the two football associations was finally made official.
Mpatane further revealed that the partnership will also be extended to also benefit local football’s administrative staff, coaches and referees.
He said this would be achieved through the training of technical and administrative staff including referees.
This exchange will be through the development of sports event programmes and training workshops, mutual support between their sports training centres and promoting the development of youth football.
“As of now, we cannot quantify how much benefit Botswana will derive from this agreement as it is too early. However, we hope that we will be able to give details of that when the time is right,” said Mpatane
According to the BFA, the agreement is for two years and it is renewable, with both the two parties expected to review it when it elapses.
It is also said that the agreement is open for termination by either of the two parties prior to its expiration date.
Should any party wish to do such, it will have to notify the other party in writing at least three months prior to termination.
