Ramatsiyi Moholoa
Ramatsiyi Moholoa
Forby Radipotsane, a top Botswana soccer administrator, has been roped in to spearhead the development of the beautiful game in the tiny southern African country.
Radipotsane is the development officer of the ambitious Botswana Development Youth League, a new initiative established by the Botswana Football Association.
He is working closely with head coach Jesloslic Veslin, one of the most successful Serbian coaches working in Africa.
"We will be starting with a new development national league in August, which will cater for the under-13s, 15s and 17s.
"But it has been agreed with our clubs that we should first start with a mini-league next month, which will only be played on a first round basis.
"That will also help us as administrators to sort out registration issues. It will be compulsory for Premier and First Division clubs to start development sides.
"Jesloslic has embarked on a national tour. He is scouting for players to beef up our junior national teams. The target is the under-17s and under-20s. We have decided to revolutionise soccer in Botswana by starting at a grassroots level.
"We are working closely with the University of Botswana. Some of their students attended a referees' course that we organised last month.
"Some of those students will be used to handle the national development league game. Our plan is to see Botswana making a serious impact in international soccer by next year, which will help expose our boys, assisted by Dipsy Selolwane, to help us qualify for the 2010 World Cup," he said.
"We are excited that our under-23s have for the first time qualified for the group stages of the Beijing Olympics."
Radipotsane will spearhead Botswana to glory
Ramatsiyi Moholoa
Ramatsiyi Moholoa
Forby Radipotsane, a top Botswana soccer administrator, has been roped in to spearhead the development of the beautiful game in the tiny southern African country.
Radipotsane is the development officer of the ambitious Botswana Development Youth League, a new initiative established by the Botswana Football Association.
He is working closely with head coach Jesloslic Veslin, one of the most successful Serbian coaches working in Africa.
"We will be starting with a new development national league in August, which will cater for the under-13s, 15s and 17s.
"But it has been agreed with our clubs that we should first start with a mini-league next month, which will only be played on a first round basis.
"That will also help us as administrators to sort out registration issues. It will be compulsory for Premier and First Division clubs to start development sides.
"Jesloslic has embarked on a national tour. He is scouting for players to beef up our junior national teams. The target is the under-17s and under-20s. We have decided to revolutionise soccer in Botswana by starting at a grassroots level.
"We are working closely with the University of Botswana. Some of their students attended a referees' course that we organised last month.
"Some of those students will be used to handle the national development league game. Our plan is to see Botswana making a serious impact in international soccer by next year, which will help expose our boys, assisted by Dipsy Selolwane, to help us qualify for the 2010 World Cup," he said.
"We are excited that our under-23s have for the first time qualified for the group stages of the Beijing Olympics."
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