Botswana has officially announced its intent to host the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in 2027.
Minister of Sports, Tumiso Rakgare, confirmed that the country is ready to go in alone after Namibia withdrew from the joint bid. Botswana has already spent over P1.3 million on facility audits and is committing P65.7 million to compiling a bid book, a significant expenditure which demonstrates the country’s political will to host the continental showpiece.
However, the absence of the Botswana Football Association (BFA) at the announcement has raised eyebrows, as they were expected to be leading the bid with the government closely behind them.
BFA Chief Executive Officer Mfolo Mfolo said that the entire National Executive Committee had gone for a UEFA Assist retreat in South Africa, leaving doubt as to the degree of their involvement in the bid. Nevertheless, Rakgare believes that the government should lead the bid with the BFA assisting.
The Bid Committee has engaged with the BFA NEC in its entirety to take suggestions from them in terms of their views.
However, the BFA’s role will come into play when the Local Organising Committee takes over, and they will take the lead assisted by the Ministry. Botswana’s bid for the Afcon 2027 finals is a significant undertaking for the country and will require a concerted effort between the government and the BFA to succeed.
