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.
Botswana Football Association (BFA) president Tariq Babitseng has read the riot act to local football administrators, warning that beautiful strategies and modern infrastructure are entirely meaningless without deliberate, long-term player development. …
… Newly elected COSAFA president, Tariq Babitseng articulated a strategic vision for regional tournaments that extends far beyond the final whistle, positioning sport hosting as an engine for cross-sector development. …
… Opening the workshop, BFA and COSAFA President Tariq Babitseng underscored the modern demands of football administration, emphasizing that institutions must manage resources responsibly while fostering opportunities across all tiers of the sport. …
… Signed by BFA President Tariq Babitseng and General Secretary Kago Mosinyi, the 2026 BFA Play Rules and Regulations (PRAR) took effect on June 30, 2026. …
Fresh off securing one of Southern Africa’s most influential football roles, the COSAFA presidency, Botswana Football Association (BFA) president Tariq Babitseng stands at a pivotal crossroads. …
… The ushering in, unopposed, of the Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, Tariq Babitseng to the top seat of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) sent a clear message that the region believes in him. …
… For Administrator of the Year, the contest features the Botswana Bowling Association president Marea Modutlwa, the Botswana Football Association's Tariq Babitseng, and Table Tennis president Kudzanayi Motswagole. …
Unopposed ahead of the May 17 elective assembly in Harare, Botswana Football Association president Tariq Babitseng is set to become COSAFA’s youngest president while pledging reforms aligned with CAF and FIFA standards GAZETTE REPORTER Tariq Babitseng is expected to assume the pr …
… The writ of election for the organisation’s regional election was issued this week, one of the key steps towards the 2028 elective congress.BFA president, Tariq Babitseng got 24 votes during the previous elective congress in 2024, and is expected to face challenge in the next ele …
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.