Also known as: President Babitseng · BFA President Tariq Babitseng
Botswana Football Association president and Council of Southern Africa Football Associations president, elected unopposed to COSAFA leadership in May 2026.
… This was said by Botswana Football Association president, Tariq Babitseng, adding that their appointments would provide an opportunity for Botswana to continue contributing its expertise, experience and leadership to the advancement of football in Southern Africa. …
… BFA president Tariq Babitseng has confirmed that negotiations with prospective commercial partners are progressing positively, although the association has not yet disclosed the identity of the potential sponsor. …
… For clubs like Gaborone United and Jwaneng Galaxy, which begin their intercontinental campaigns in September, the savings are equally transformative. “We are happy because that alone will reduce our expenditure,” said Tariq Babitseng, the BFA president, who also leads the Council …
… Speaking on the development, BFA president, Tariq Babitseng, welcomed the end to the geographic detour and also appreciated Francistown’s passionate crowds during the displacement. …
… Speaking at a press briefing in Gaborone, BFA president, Tariq Babitseng said the changes formed part of a broader strategic realignment aimed at ensuring that the association had people with appropriate skills and competencies in key positions. …
… Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Botswana Football Association President, Tariq Babitseng said the tournament would be the sixth staging of the COSAFA qualifier, which was introduced in 2021 to determine the region’s representative at the CAF Women’s Champions League co …
… These were the sentiments echoed by the Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, Tariq Babitseng during the association’s ordinary general assembly in Gaborone recently.Babitseng said the assembly theme: From Grassroots to Greatness, underscored the importance of investing …
Nine representatives from Botswana have been appointed to various Council of Southern Africa Football Associations committees and boards across finance, competitions, technical development, medical affairs, women's football, commercial, ethics and governance areas. Botswana Football Association president Tariq Babitseng said the appointments reflect Botswana's contribution to regional football development and administration.
Nine representatives from Botswana have been appointed to various Council of Southern Africa Football Associations committees and boards across finance, competitions, technical development, medical affairs, women's football, commercial, ethics and governance areas. Botswana Football Association president Tariq Babitseng said the appointments reflect Botswana's contribution to regional football development and administration.
Botswana did not submit bid documents before CAF's deadline for a joint 2028 Africa Cup of Nations bid with South Africa and Zimbabwe, citing lack of funds, though football officials said no financial guarantees were required at this stage. The government decided hosting was not a priority, while football authorities view it as a missed opportunity since hosting burden would have been shared among three countries.
Botswana's National Stadium has regained CAF Category 3 accreditation following comprehensive upgrades to its playing surface, media facilities, and security infrastructure. The stadium was previously unusable for continental competition, forcing national teams and top clubs to play home fixtures 465 kilometres north in Francistown at significant financial and logistical cost.
Upgrading the National Stadium to CAF Category 3 status eliminates the need to travel to Francistown for international fixtures, saving the Botswana Football Association approximately P800,000 per match in unbudgeted travel, security and accommodation expenses that can now be redirected to grassroots academies and local clubs.
Gaborone-based Mazottie FC won the DTC Botswana Women's Football Championship with a 7-0 victory over Dunamis and Daughters FC, but the lopsided result highlights systemic disparities in training facilities, infrastructure, and corporate support between capital-based and regional clubs.
Botswana Football Association has announced administrative and technical changes to strengthen operations, appointing Bathusi Rathari as acting general secretary while a permanent position is recruited, and redeploying technical director Kaelo Kaelo to head of coaching and research. The association aims to ensure key positions are filled by people with appropriate skills and competencies.
Botswana will host the CAF Women's Champions League COSAFA qualifier from August 20 to 29, becoming the third country to stage the tournament. Defending champions Gaborone United Ladies will compete in Group A alongside teams from Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho.
Botswana Football Association president Tariq Babitseng told the association's ordinary general assembly that grassroots development is essential for improving the national sport's international impact and professional operations, stressing the need to create pathways for young players to develop. The assembly, themed "From Grassroots to Greatness," coincided with the BFA's 60th anniversary, with Babitseng calling on the association to consider its legacy for the next generation.
Botswana's National Stadium faces a new CAF inspection; BFA president Tariq Babitseng said success would allow the country to host its national team and CAF club competition matches in the capital, easing pressure on Francistown's Obed Itani Chilume Stadium, the currently only CAF-certified venue in the country.
Botswana Football Association president Tariq Babitseng has called on local football administrators to prioritize deliberate, long-term player development, warning that strategies and infrastructure are meaningless without a clear, synchronized pathway guiding talent from grassroots through senior levels. He emphasized that development requires time, structure, investment, and highly capacitated coaches, referees, and technical personnel.
Gaborone United Ladies FC will host the CAF Women's Champions League COSAFA Qualifier from August 20–29, drawn in Group A with Zambia's ZESCO Ndola Girls, Zimbabwe's Herentals Queens, and Lesotho Defence Force. GU will play the tournament's opening match against Lesotho, while South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns anchor Group B.
Botswana Football Association president Tariq Babitseng credits Gaborone United owner Nicolas Zakhem with rewriting the script of fleeting investor involvement, pointing to infrastructure investment at the club's stadium beside the University of Botswana — which hosts over 70 percent of FNB Premiership matches and has created 110 jobs — as a blueprint for sustainable club ownership in a country facing severe football infrastructure shortages.
The Botswana Football Association is intensifying its commitment to accountability in managing FIFA-funded projects through a FIFA Forward workshop designed to equip administrators with skills in planning, executing, monitoring, and reporting on development programs.
The Botswana Football Association has introduced new play regulations effective June 30, 2026, requiring Premier League clubs to field at least three Under-23 and two Under-20 players in every match, with stricter quotas for lower divisions, and imposing disciplinary sanctions for non-compliance.
The Botswana Football Association, led by newly elected COSAFA president Tariq Babitseng, is implementing the BFA Impact Programme, a comprehensive initiative to overhaul governance, funding, and development of football across the nation. The programme introduces a tiered classification system for Regional Football Associations, categorizing them as Tier 1 (high capacity), Tier 2 (emerging), or Tier 3 (development), with tailored development responsibilities for each tier.
Tariq Babitseng, Botswana Football Association president, was elected unopposed to the top seat of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) on May 17, becoming the second Motswana to lead the organization since its inception in 1992. Babitseng said he would retain his BFA position while ensuring both roles received proper attention, and noted that unity prevailed during the elective congress.
Botswana's National Sports Commission is holding its Sport Awards ceremony, with Collen Kebinatshipi and Ntungamili Raguin among standout athletes competing for Sportsperson of the Year. The event, new CEO Olebile Sikwane's first since taking office in January, celebrates the country's sporting achievements including the successful World Relays 2026 and notable performances in athletics and tennis.
Botswana Football Association president Tariq Babitseng is set to become COSAFA's youngest president after emerging unopposed ahead of the May 17 elective assembly in Harare, pledging reforms aligned with CAF and FIFA standards.
The Botswana Football Association issued a writ of election for regional elections this week, a key step toward the 2028 elective congress. BFA president Tariq Babitseng, who received 24 votes in the previous 2024 congress, is expected to face a challenge in the next election.
The Botswana National Sport Commission announced nominees for the 45th Botswana Sports Awards, with the Botswana Athletics Association securing eight nominations. Sprint athlete Collen Kebinatshipi is nominated for Sportsman of the Year, competing against footballer Goitseone Phoko and judoka Tumiso Phuthego, while athlete Oratile Nowe represents athletics in the Sportswoman of the Year category.