Bristol City to tour Botswana

Thato Kala | Wednesday January 8, 2014 14:29

City were supposed to visit last year, but were forced to pull out of the tour because the National Stadium was not ready.

The aborted two-week visit last year included playing against local giants Township Rollers, Mochudi Centre Chiefs and a Namibian club in the Friendship Cup.

 Botswana Football Association (BFA) chief executive officer Keith Masters said the tourney was likely to feature the two local clubs but the Namibian outfit was yet to confirm.

Masters believes the visit works in the favour of the country. 'It is good PR and it is nice to get team from the UK coming, which was one of the expectations when I came in but because of finances we have not been able to do that. 'Bristol City's majority shareholder Steve Lansdown has strong business connections in Botswana,' Masters said. Lansdown told a UK publication that: 'Although one of the smaller African footballing nations, Botswana was fanatical about the game. Bristol City will become the first British team to visit the country, so this will be another step in Botswana's progression.'

Lansdown has been coming to Botswana for over five years now and was quoted as saying it was a wonderful place to visit. The team, accompanied by some supporters, will engage in community work and are offering fans the opportunity to get involved in what they describe as the 'trip of a lifetime'.

 'The work carried out by the Community Trust in the summer touched many lives and, with the players and management staff travelling this time around, there is so much potential to enhance this positive feeling,' Lansdown

The team will first undergo a pre-season training camp in Rustenburg, South Africa before coming to Gaborone.