The Botswana Football Association (BFA) is worried and concerned about the increasing number of Covid-19 positive cases. BFA regional coordinator Setete Phuthego said the increasing number might disturb their plan to resume 2020/2021 season end of February.
Phuthego shared the sentiments in an interview with The Telegraph Sport that the increasing numbers might force government to come up with more protocols that might restrict them to start the season.
“The increase in positive cases might lead government to come with protocols that may hamper the BFA football activity plan,” observed Phuthego.
He said: “Increasing numbers can lead government to restrict movements, ban gathering of people or may bring another lockdown which will deny the BFA the chance to continue with its plan because they would have to abide and adhere to Covid-19 protocols.”
He said they BFA remains optimistic that the situation will stabilize so that they can resume football activities.
BFA authorities have in the past been accused of failing to resume games but they explained that they had no choice but to observe protocols set by government. They have to protect all including players from contracting the deadly virus.
He said the BFA medical committee is always there to advise on the way forward together with the competitions committee which will advise on the format to be adopted looking at the Covid-19 protocols.
Recently there were suggestions that the BFA was planning to play mini leagues which many did not approve. This led to the idea of mini league being butted at an infancy stage. The mini league was to be played in one leg format, and was to be used to promote and relegate some teams.
BFA stopped football activities in March 2020 following the spread of the virus across the globe. By the time the BFA National Executive Committee (NEC) took a decision to stop the leagues, the elite league, premiership was left with ten games to complete the season. In March the BFA will be turning 1 year without league season.
Football supporters across the country are looking forward to the start of the season but with the increasing number of cases the future is not certain. In the last update by Covid-19 Task Team, Botswana has 18, 515 confirmed cases, and 124 deaths.
