Botswana Is Confident To Win Bid For CAF ’27

Botswana’s lobbying to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is gaining momentum by the day, The Business Weekly Sports has established. Speaking with the media at Lekidi Football Centre in Gaborone this week, the Chairman of Botswana’s Bid Committee (BidCo), Ashford Mamelodi, disclosed that the committee took a significant step by presenting its case to the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) on 26 May 2023. [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type="show" ihc_mb_who="1,2,3,4" ihc_mb_template="3" ] "We definitely have the support of COSAFA but we do not take it for granted, hence we continue to engage them. We will keep at it until the decision is made," Mamelodi stated. In addition to efforts within COSAFA, the Botswana’s BidCo attended the CAF congress in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire as a crucial platform for engagement with key stakeholders. 14 presidents "We met quite a number of presidents, a total of 14, whom we met for the first time,” Mamelodi noted. And some of them are executive members of CAF.” Reflecting on their interactions at the CAF congress, Mamelodi commented: "At the end of the congress, we engaged with 18 of the 22 CAF executive members, which is a very good number. All in all, we felt we made an impact, and are very happy with our efforts." However, Mamelodi acknowledged the widening competition to host the 2027 AFCON competition. "We discovered certain things when we were in Abidjan, mainly that the competition has increased,” he said. “We thought we had only Algeria and Tanzania in the hosting race, but we were told that Benin, Nigeria and Senegal are also in the race now." “We believe in our bidbook” Nevertheless, the head of the Botswana BidCo was full of confidence in the face of the new contenders that just emerged. “We know the competition is going to be tough but we believe in our bidbook,” he said. “We have not seen other bidbooks but we know that ours is very compelling. Ultimately, CAF's executive committee will rely on comprehensive assessments to make their decision." Mamelodi emphasised their awareness of the substantial work that lies ahead and the unpredictable nature of football-related decisions. "We recognise that there is a lot of work that needs to be done and we know that in such football decisions, it is the night before that we need to be relentlessly in pursuit of," he asserted. In light of this, he underscored the imperative of refining their lobbying strategy further. “Going forward, we have to engage the president of Botswana Football Association closely, “he said. “In CAF, there are also very influential associations that we have to visit in their respective countries to get them on our side.” Political stability Asked about Botswana's unique selling points, Mamelodi pointed to the country’s bidbook as a tool that encapsulates the country's vision and aspirations and rightaway highlighted stability of government and robust tourism as key strengths that set Botswana apart on the African continent. "This is Botswana's turn," he stated matter-of-factly. "We are ready. If the government says it is ready to take this forward, we must go for it. The government has taken a very important position and must be applauded for that." When questions regarding Zambia's bid to host AFCON in 2025 potentially affecting Botswana's 2027 bid were raised, Mamelodi responded with poise. "While Zambia securing the 2025 bid could present challenges, our focus remains undeterred,” he said. “Although it may impact our odds, no rule dictates that their hosting (in 2025) should preclude ours in 2027." As to why Botswana has not hosted competitions like COSAFA to measure its readiness, the CEO of Botswana Football Association, Mfolo Mfolo, responded: "We have initiated plans to host COSAFA youth competitions, encompassing U-17 and U-20 categories. We have already engaged with the Botswana National Sports Commission on that. It will help us check our readiness, especially for hosting larger football events." [/ihc-hide-content]

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Botswana Is Confident To Win Bid For CAF ’27

Even in the face of growing competition that now includes titanic footballing nations like Nigeria, the Chairman of Botswana’s BidCo, Ashford Mamelodi, is brimming with confidence that the country’s efforts will be rewarded because its bidbook is “very compelling”

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Botswana Is Confident To Win Bid For CAF ’27

Even in the face of growing competition that now includes titanic footballing nations like Nigeria, the Chairman of Botswana’s BidCo, Ashford Mamelodi, is brimming with confidence that the country’s efforts will be rewarded because its bidbook is “very compelling”

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