Botswana: Botswana Bid Committee for AFCON 2027 hosted a golf day tournament yesterday at Stanbic Gaborone Golf Club as part of their stakeholder’s engagement with the business sector and the Media following successful Botswana bidding for AFCON 2027.
Speaking at the prize-giving dinner Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Minister Tumiso Rakgare stated that the event was organized to rally the public and private sectors behind the bid.
Minister Rakgare revealed that Botswana’s bid to host AFCON 2027 has been successfully submitted, emphasizing that “we are in it, to win it.” Minister pointed out that they aim to cultivate and kindly ask for pledges and whatever resources can assist in the entire process.
Hon Rakgare insisted that though Botswana has never hosted a senior Confederation of African Football (CAF) final, he is confident that if given a chance, Botswana will deliver a very successful and memorable Africa Cup of Nations in 2027.
Over the years, Botswana has gained a wealth of experience in hosting single and multi-sport international competitions and events. Botswana hosted the CAF Under 17 Championships in 1997, the 2nd African Youth Games (51 countries in 21 sports) in 2014, the Netball World Youth Cup in 2017, the World Softball Baseball Congress in 2017, the International Conference on Women and Sport in 2018 and the World Athletics Botswana Golden Grand Prix in April 2023.
Minister pointed out that this substantiates that hosting AFCON is viable.
Hon Minister mentioned that bidding to host the AFCON finals in 2027 and investing in it is consistent with the objectives of Pillars 1 to 4 of Vision 2036 (Sustainable Economic Development, Human and Social Development, Sustainable Environment, and Governance, Peace and Security). Such relates to infrastructure development, ICT as a key to economic growth, building a self-sustaining sports industry, Youth Development, Education and Skills Development, Sustainable Land Use and Management, Civil Society Participation, and Foreign Relations.
Minister Rakgare pointed out that as part of the requirements of CAF to win the bid to host AFCON 2027, key deliverables are supposed to be met. Among those are the availability of adequate hotel accommodation, hospitals, sufficient road network, international airports and compliant stadia infrastructure.
Minister shared that they add to existing resources, the government is fully committed to and planning to avail lacking resources accordingly.
Minister Rakgare highlighted that Botswana, hosting the AFCON would not be about earning bragging rights, but rather to drive real development for people of Botswana, as espoused in the National Vision 2036 that intends to achieve prosperity for all Batswana.