The recent announcement by the Minister of Youth Sports and Culture, Shaw Kgathi, that no country has been successfully lured to camp in Botswana during the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa should be a disgrace to us as the entire country.
This is a once in a life-time opportunity, which we have, unfortunately, chosen not to embrace.
One is left with no option but to wonder just what it has been that the Task Force, established about three years ago, has been doing all this time.
All we remember is that we have over the years been lied to about our preparedness.
The private sector tried three years ago, but was snubbed, chiefly because of BDP politics.
Before the World Cup teams were confirmed, the task force hobnobbed around the World and claimed to be negotiating with big names.
The question now is why the failure to deliver.
There is no question that someone was sleeping on the job.
We hope action will be taken.
Although Botswana has many attributes, like peace and tranquility, indications are that we have been overtaken by our less credible neighbours.
Some reports suggest that Zimbabwe has managed to woo the most famous team in the World, Brazil.
Everybody around the world knows the situation of Zimbabwe and most countries would shun their invitation before the start of the negotiations.
But because the Zimbabweans were determined and more organised they have something to show for their efforts.
Also one of the popular teams around the world, England, will be based in the city of Rustenburg, just less than two and half hours drive from Gaborone.
England has a vibrant media and whatever the team is engaged in makes news around the world. That would no doubt been a boon for Botswana had we put our house in order.
Inside reports indicate that instead of coordinating their marketing, the Task Force was more politicized, along the way excluding and isolating the most vital stakeholders, which are the Botswana Football Association (BFA) in their mission work.
It is a paradox of some sorts that after failing to meet their mandate, the Task Force now wants to hand over that mandate to BFA.
Exactly what can BFA achieve in a few weeks, what the Task Force failed to achieve in years.
The question is why the Task Force is doing it now while the World Cup is less than three months away.
Last week during a press conference, Kgathi even admitted that they did not know that FIFA rules stipulate that teams should be at their bases, two months before the start of the tournament. He also added that he was not aware that most leagues in Europe end just before the start of the World Cup. This definitely shows how hopeless the Task Force is.
It would not even be surprising that the Task Force was politicised. It would appear like people who made up the Task Force were just there for positions without any appreciation whatsoever about the operations of world football.
No doubt various stakeholders had to be roped in but the core business is football and soccer administrators should have formed the bulk of the Task Force.
Such people would no doubt have provided the much needed insight and information on how the previous World Cups worked, including on the FIFA rules. That could have saved the country resources, embarrassment and even time.
As we speak, former Portuguese colonies, Mozambique and Angola, are going to play the former colonial master.
What stopped us from inviting England for a friendly?
To be told so late in the day that no country has made a concrete promise, is definitely an insult to our intelligence as a nation.
At the press conference, Minister Kgathi even suggested that some countries were asking for exorbitant appearance fees, something he said was turned down. He said instead they would rather develop the national team with the money rather than pay it to other countries.
What a disconnect with reality!
The government once promised to pay the salaries for the national team coach, but we are still yet to see that. The President of the Republic once said players in the Premier League and First Division would be paid certain amount of money every month.
That is also yet to happen and reports from the Sports Ministry are that there is no money because such money was unbudgeted for.
It will be a big blow, a missed opportunity for Botswana not to play a country that has qualified for the World Cup when the tournament is just across the border. What is also worrying is that all the stadiums initially earmarked for friendly matches remain incomplete.
