Botswana Football Association (BFA) will continue to oversee the National First Division (NDF) pending its separation from the Botswana Football League (BFL).
The NDF was declared a member of the BFL when the latter was granted autonomy from the BFA in 2020. Despite being part of the football league, the NDF has never been under the care of the BFL and remained under the control of the BFA.
Immediately following the declaration of autonomy, the BFL pleaded with the BFA to oversee the NDF while it was trying to settle as an autonomous body. The intention was for the BFL to take over once it had enough capability to run both the NDF and the Premier League.
It has however since emerged that the BFL has passed a motion seeking the BFA to permanently take the NDF. The football league’s reason is that it still does not have the capacity to run the first division league.
Speaking at the recent press briefing, BFA president Tariq Babitseng, said the NDF will continue to be under the association pending a takeover by the association. The association cannot permanently take the NDF under its wing right now as it requires certain processes to be followed.
If things go accordingly, the NDF will be expected to permanently come under the BFA at the end of this season. Negotiations between the BFA and the BFL for its removal and return to the BFA are said to be ongoing.
Since going under the temporary auspices of the BFA, the BFL existed as a structure without real leadership or recognition. It has never had a say in the BFA and had no recognised leadership structures.
According to sources within the BFA, once the NDF is released into the care of the association, it will exist like any other structure of the association. “The plan is to have the NDF as a semi-autonomous structure of the BFA.”
“It will be run in the same way as the regional football associations and the women’s football. It will be under the association but it will have its own committee and make its own decisions. It will also be allowed to have representatives at the BFA General Assembly just like the regions and the BFL,” a source explained.
The source further explained that the BFA National Executive Committee (BFA NEC) feels the decision to retake the NDF is for the division’s and the BFL’s own good. It will allow the BFL to focus on sourcing sponsorships and growing the premier league without the burden of doing the same for the NDF.
“As it is right now, having both the Premier League and the NDF under the BFL is problematic. The BFL cannot find one sponsor to cover both the premier league and the first division league. No company can sponsor both as one product.”
“Even now, when the BFL negoatiates a sponsor or gets finance, it is for the premier league and not first division. Currently, the NDF has appealed to the BFA to help it get broadcast rights monies from the BFL as it is entitled to. That is just one of the problems the association is trying to avert,” the source explained.
On why the BFA cannot take control of the NDF right now, the source said for that to happen, the BFL will have to pass a resolution to hand it to the BFA. “That resolution will then be passed to the association for consideration. If the BFA agrees, it will then pass it as a motion to be debated at its next general assembly, which comes at the end of the season. That is a long process that needs to be done,” the source explained.
The source said while the processes are ongoing, the association will continue to oversee the division and seek sponsors on its behalf as it has been doing.
