This past week, Solomon Ramochotlhwane was announced as the Botswana Football League (BFL) chief executive officer (CEO).
The former Green Lovers football club chairperson became the first ever CEO to lead the now autonomous structure, which was formerly known as the Botswana Premier League (BPL).
His appointment, though gleefully announced by the Botswana Football Association (BFA) president Maclean Letshwiti, is yet to be confirmed by the BFL.
Sources say Ramochotlhwane got a nod ahead of fellow Olebile Sikwane and Tiro Kganela, as former BPL CEO Bennett Mamelodi failed to make top three.
It is alleged that while Mamelodi was considered the most qualified of the twelve applicants, his past feuds with the BFA worked against him.
“In the end, HRMC did not recommend him as they felt he was unlikely to work well with the BFA,” a source said.
With Mamelodi out of the picture, HRMC is said to have recommended Ramochotlhwane as the most ideal candidate.
Described as a young professional, the former BPL board member comes with an incredible resume.
According to his resume, Ramochotlhwane holds a Masters’ Degree in Finance and is a Botswana Qualification Authority (BQA) qualified trainer.
He is also a consultant in areas of project management, leadership and change management, operations management and commercial economics.
After his football playing career was cut short due to an injury, the incoming CEO transitioned to coaching.
He is now a holder of CAF B coaching license and is one of the few grassroots coaching instructors from the Premier Skills program with over ten years of experience.
His coaching journey has seen him take the reins at teams such as Maun Tigers, which he led to the First Division North League.
He is also the founding member of Western Dynamites football club as well as founding chairperson of Serowe based Golden Girls football club.
While Ramochotlhwane may not have been an overwhelming favorite for the job, those on his side say he ticked all the right boxes.
He is considered within many quarters as a young educated talent with a very good track record in football administration and coaching.
In his comments on the appointment, BFA president Maclean Letshwiti said it is ‘a major vote of confidence in our young talent.’
His appointment has also been lauded as a demonstration of local football factions’ readiness to forego political differences.
“This appointment therefore further demonstrates football leadership’s desire to unite talent and all role players in the advancement of local football.
This is the whole idea of embracing diversity putting aside our allegiances and differences of the past solely for purposes of a winning formulae,” Letshwiti said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the incoming CEO is expected to resume his duties sometime at the beginning of June.
He is said to have already written a resignation letter to his employers at the Botswana College of Distance and Open Learning (BOCODOL).