Mbatha’s one-year deal at the controversy-ridden BFL was due to expire this week but the league management has said he will remain at the helm until the end of the 2023-2024 season, exercising an option to renew.
Mbatha’s contract was renewed on Wednesday this week as confirmed by the BFL chairperson, Nicholas Zakhem.
“We just finished the meeting with Mbatha and all are in place to practice the agreement by extending until the BFL Annual General Assembly. It is a five-month extension,” Zakhem said on Wednesday. Last week, Zakhem told MmegiSport that it is only rational for the BFL to renew Mbatha’s contract until the end of the season to ensure a smooth transition to a local CEO at the end of the season. While the majority of the BFL shareholders are reportedly satisfied with Mbatha’s performance, a few maintain the contrary and are said to be unhappy with the extension of the South African’s contract.
They maintain that he has failed to bring sponsors to the ailing league and restore its reputation. Those in favour of his stay argue that he has brought an element of professionalism in the manner the league is run, given the politically polluted environment at the BFL. The South African reportedly earns $7,000 (around P95,000) per month.
Zakhem explained that the Botswana Football Association and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will continue paying Mbatha’s salary on an equal scale. When he took over last February, it was disclosed that his salary would be the responsibility of the BFA and CAF. At the time, it was explained that the BFL does not generate enough income to afford an administrator of his calibre. Before joining the BFL, Mbatha worked for Young Africans and Simba in Tanzania, two of the country's biggest sides.
