The �rent-an-investor� system unsustainable

Dennis Keagile | Friday March 18, 2016 14:07

Petty talk and factionalism which are common at clubs like Extension Gunners, Mochudi Centre Chiefs and Township Rollers were rarely heard and credit was given to none other than Lebanese-born Nicholas Zakhem of Zack Construction. Zakhem and the GU management as well as the supporters were all singing from the same hymn book and dreaming out aloud together. Success on the pitch was however not matched with success off the pitch and it has taken the club a while to really ignite the spirit of the 80s and early 90s.

Rivals mocked GU questioning the attainment of professionalism when the results on the field were eluding the club. Pressure started mounting on the management and the club fired coach after coach. The arrival of Zakhem at GU was followed by Jackdish Shah’s entry at Township Rollers and Sayed Jamali at Chiefs. And unlike the other two, Jamali has kept a low profile and is still keeping the soccer world guessing as to his ultimate goal with Chiefs. His low profile can be interpreted in two ways; either he wants to take things easy or he is not yet sure of the project he is in and wants to leave the exit door open. Now talk doing the rounds, which Zakhem seems to allude to is that he is contemplating to decamp, with suggestions he may decide to hook up with Kelesitse Gilika at Gilport Lions or bail out Notwane which for years now has been on a sick bed. You see, a hungry person is prone to compromising not only his integrity but values and principles as well. Yes, we can blame it all on the factionalism within our clubs but what I have come to realise is that these so-called investors do not usually put systems in place both administratively or otherwise to propel clubs forward. As a result, factional wars just subside a bit only to rear their ugly heads at a later stage.

The departure of Gilika and Horatio Mahloane from their once loved club (GU) had a clear message. Either they were not happy with the set up or they felt they could launch their own clubs with a sound philosophy. I therefore challenge all investors to lay bare their plans or blue print to the general members so that supporters can appreciate them better. The current system of rent a financier is not sustainable and there will always be fights for control of the clubs. The Botswana Football Association (BFA) and the Botswana Premier League (BPL), as previously suggested, ought to come out with a blueprint for club ownership in Botswana. The trial and error era is gone.

Assuming Zakhem decamps to Notwane, what is it that he will be giving to the club; money or administrative acumen? Money as we all know cannot buy everything although it is needed for the sustainability and competitiveness of clubs. What I think is paramount is the laying down of sound administrative structures. It does not work to have two centres of power, society on the one hand and business or commercial wing on the other. Like I have suggested before, there is a need for dialogue or brain storming session on the club ownership saga in Botswana. The Bosele Declaration was perhaps a start although not comprehensive enough. Perhaps the BPL ought to revisit and upgrade it than to start a different programme.

Instability at clubs has a big impact on the overall development of football in the country. As long as clubs remain fragmented, youth and grassroots development will remain a dream and the performance of the various national teams will be adversely affected. Sponsorship drive will also remain a challenge. Surely the environment ought to be sanitised for the good of all.

Back to Zakhem. He needs to introspect because if he indeed decamps, whichever club he will be going to will be the third after he cut his teeth into sport sponsorship with Mafolofolo Volleyball Club. That was immediately after his marathon bribery case with the state.

Mafolofolo, unlike many, did not shun him although at the time some eyebrows were raised on the club’s moral standing. It takes two to tango and as such it takes two to make a mistake in a ‘marriage’.

What is interesting is that a friend of mine had predicted that the situation at GU is likely to implode looking at the structure. The same friend has also warned that if Chiefs do not act fast, the situation is also likely to implode because there is no firm structure for longevity.

Basically, organisational set up still leaves a lot to be desired and is something the BPL and the BFA ought to pay great attention to.

Now the challenge goes to Gilika and his Gilport Lions to set the base and benchmark. I pray that it should not be a failed project like FC Satmos although the journey is long and narrow. If Gilport can stay long in the league and grow some support base then he can implement some of his ideas, but people will take the club seriously when it can be in the Mascom Top 8 in the coming season.

 

Mascom Top 8

Kudos to Orapa United and Township Rollers for reaching the final of the Mascom Top 8 cup. Special thanks should be extended to the people of Orapa, Letlhakane and other surrounding villages for having been wise to swallow petty egos and came up with one strong team. The Ostriches are now a force to reckon with and at the pace the team is going, it will not be long before it brings the coveted league trophy to Orapa. Everything is pointing in the right direction as currently the club is challenging for league honours. Even if it does not win anything, I think the Ostriches are already winners and maybe should target next season for an all-out assault on the league.

That said the BPL ought to clean some of its act. The incident that appeared on television with the match commissioner counting protest money from Chiefs does not enhance the image of the league. It was more like drug lords at play or some mafia guys counting their loot. There should be a better way of paying the money than in the full glare of the public especially that we had visitors from Lesotho who had come to benchmark. Let there be a clean-up of all the rules and procedures. As the stakes get higher and higher and so should be the rules. The rules ought to be more clearer, user friendly and realistic. Time for change is now.