Tariq Babitseng, recently elected president of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), has confirmed he will continue to serve as president of the Botswana Football Association (BFA) despite his new regional responsibilities.
Speaking to the media following his historic election, Babitseng acknowledged the challenges of holding both positions but reassured stakeholders that each organization would receive the necessary attention and leadership. “The regulations stipulate that you can never be the President of COSAFA if you are not the president of the federation or association,” Babitseng explained. “The moment you lose the presidency of the association; you automatically relinquish your presidency of COSAFA.”
His comments come amid speculation within Botswana football circles about whether he would step down from the BFA role to focus solely on COSAFA duties. Babitseng referenced the case of Artur de Almeida e Silva, who stepped down as COSAFA president earlier this year after losing his position with the Angolan Football Federation. “The COSAFA presidency was held by Artur de Almeida e Silva from May 2022, but he eventually relinquished his seat after losing the Angolan Football Federation presidency in April this year,” Babitseng noted.
Babitseng’s election marks a significant milestone for Botswana football, making him the second Motswana to lead COSAFA since the late Ismail Bhamjee, who served as the organization’s founding president from 1992 to 2000.
Reflecting on the election, Babitseng described the outcome as a signal of a new era of unity within COSAFA, an organization historically marked by divisions among its member associations. “Since the inception of COSAFA in 1992, the organisation has always been divided,” he said. “But during the elective congress, unity prevailed as evidenced by the unanimous voice of members during the elections.”
He explained that member associations engaged in internal discussions before agreeing on a candidate capable of guiding COSAFA forward. “A decision was made before the election to look among members of the leadership who were in attendance as to who would be best suited to steer the organisation, and that is when I was identified for the presidency role,” Babitseng said.
“My election has demonstrated to the African continent that COSAFA, which is the biggest zone in Africa, is indeed united,” he added. “As leadership, we will ensure that going forward, that same spirit of oneness prevails.”
Despite this optimism, Babitseng acknowledged the significant work ahead, particularly in restructuring competitions and enhancing development systems across the region. “As the new leadership, we have agreed that what we have been seeing in past years where countries would send development teams to COSAFA senior tournaments has to end,” he said.
For years, COSAFA tournaments have faced criticism for lacking full-strength national teams, as some countries prioritized other international commitments while sending experimental squads to regional competitions.
Babitseng believes aligning COSAFA tournaments with the FIFA calendar will restore competitiveness and commercial appeal. “The COSAFA tournament will be aligned with the FIFA calendar so that countries can send proper national teams. That will help make the tournament more competitive,” he stated.
On the organizational front, Babitseng confirmed that COSAFA’s headquarters would remain in South Africa, with operations moving to Sandton. He emphasized that the relocation would enhance coordination and efficiency by placing the organization closer to both CAF and FIFA offices.
Babitseng takes the helm at a critical time for Southern African football, as the region faces mounting pressure to raise its competitiveness on the continental and global stage.