The final day of reckoning is drawing nearer by the day and the giants of local football are sharpening their sabers ahead of a bruising tussle for top positions at the Botswana Football Association (BFA) Annual General Meeting on July 26.
One of the contenders for the position of Vice President-Finance, former Extension Gunners treasurer Marshlow Motlogelwa, remains confident that he has done enough to convince the regions that he is the right man for the job. Motlogelwa will face stiff competition from former Gaborone United (GU) treasurer, Rapula Okaile when the BFA goes for the polls on July 26 at the Gaborone International Convention Center (GICC). The winner among the two will take over from Godfrey Ngele who has long declared that he would not seek another term, citing personal reasons. It has been a tedious campaign for both Motlogelwa and Okaile, as they have been running around the country trying to convince delegates to vote for them. Finally, the day of reckoning is nigh and Motlogelwa believes he has done enough to guarantee him a win at the polls. For years Motlogelwa has served the Peleng Giants loyally as a football official, and he believes now is the right time for him to serve the sport that he loves so much on a higher platform.
“I am a son of football and I’ve always been passionate about it. I gained practical experience at a big club like Gunners and now I want to contribute at national level. I’m armed with the requisite experience and I believe I am the right man for the job,” said Motlogelwa.
He said he garnered his experience from different sectors of the economy and pointed out that he has established strategic networks and relationships with key players in the corporate world.
Motlogelwa, a chartered accountant who is employed as Head of Finance at PEEPA, said he has the requisite skills to effectively control the books of a huge organization like BFA. Motlogelwa remains unfazed by speculation that he doesn’t stand a chance against his opponent. He believes his team covered a lot of ground while on the campaign trail and has received positive feedback from the regions. But what would he do differently at the BFA once he accedes to the position of Vice President-Finance?
“I am worried by the lack of controls at the BFA. There is a possibility of serious leaks at the association and my main mandate would be to lay a solid foundation from which we will put the association’s books into good shape,” he said.
Motlogelwa is not even worried by rumors of soured relations between BFA head honchos at Lekidi. He scoffs at the contention that he will be hounded out of his position like Ngele, who allegedly leaves the association a frustrated man because of rumored acrimony between him and BFA president Tebogo Sebego. But Motlogelwa is not a worried man because he also belongs to Sebego’s Friends of Football.
“Sebego is a man of repute so I will disregard those unfounded allegations. If I go in there I will no doubt enjoy his full support because we both want the same thing. What is important is to take the association to another level,” he said.
Motlogelwa has a rich history in football; he played for BMC from 1991 to 1994 before joining cross-town rivals Extension Gunners from 1995 to 1998. He served in different terms at Gunners before serving in the Premier League board of governors during the 2009/10 season. He has also worked as a Senior Accountant at BMC, Management Accountant at Botswana Railways and Business Development Manager at De Beers.
