The newly formed Botswana Football Coaches Association (BFCA) is making great strides towards ensuring that its mandate is recognized in football circles. According to the BFCA president, Nelson Olebile the association is in talks with key stakeholders as part of their campaign to reach out to members of the public and ensure that their mandate is appreciated.
He explained that the BFCA mandate was to deal with the affairs, registration and development of coaches in the country. The BFCA was formed mainly to regulate the coaching profession in the country and to assist coaches to have meaningful relationship with the clubs.
“The executive committee of BFCA is busy with programmes aligned to coaches’ work. The committee wants to see coach’s conditions of service welfare improved,” said Olebile.
The association is also in talks with Botswana Football Association (BFA) so that they become an associate member.
“We have held meetings with the BFA CEO, Mfolwe Mfolwe, informing him of our association and how we would like to work with the BFA. If we can get full recognition by the BFA we will be able to participate in the BFA general assembly as associate members,” Olebile said.
Olebile said plans are at an advanced stage to sign a memorandum of Understanding with Footballer’s Union of Botswana so that they work together in the future.
According to Olebile coaches have welcomed the newly formed association adding that they were optimistic that it would help them grow their careers.
Asked to comment on allegations that some coaches were undermining others, he said “it has not reached my desk. Maybe it was a private talk by individuals but in our association it has never happened and coaches are working together towards a common goal which is to see an improvement in their welfare,” he said.
Olebile added that “a coach should be respected by virtue of being a coach not the level of qualification or the level of the league they coaching in. We will soldier on and shun those who want to derail us from our mandate.” He also dismissed rumours that the BFCA secretary General, Oupa Kowa had gone AWOL.
“The secretary has family commitments and he has since come back. We have been in constant communication with Kowa and he has social commitment that he attended to of late,” he said.
He explained further that coaches have a code of conduct that they should always respect and abide by. “I don’t expect coaches to undermine one another; they should always be respectful to one another,” he said.
Olebile revealed that they have targeted FIFA dates to have coaching courses and refresher courses “for men who seat on the bench.” Coaching courses are expected to be spread across the country and should not only be based in cities and urban centers, he said.
