Key Botswana national team players considering international future due to pay dispute
- Andrew Olsson
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Tension continues to build between the Botswana Football Association and some notable players on the Botswana national team due to unresolved disputes behind the scenes.
Disharmony between top executives of the BFA and top players like Botswana captain Thatayaone Ditlhokwe resulted in the latter's benching for Botswana's 1-3 home defeat against Algeria in a March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match. At the center of the issue are unpaid allowances and an unwillingness from the BFA to address similar player welfare issues according to Botswana daily MmegiSport.
The issues are reaching a breaking point, with players on the verge of a revolt when March fixtures arrived against Algeria and Somalia. BFA second vice-president Tebogo 'Tico' Kamati instructed Botswana coach Morena Ramoreboli to drop Ditlhokwe for the Algeria match, which led to the Zebras captain being dropped before being brought back into the lineup for the Somalia match.
"I can confirm that we have received a complaint from the Zebras captain...We wrote two letters to the BFA seeking their official stance, but we have not received any response despite follow-ups," said Footballers Union of Botswana (FUB) president Onalethata Tshekiso.
"Secondly, the affected player (Ditlhokwe) and his teammates have advised that in the absence of any response or official communication from the BFA disputing what circulated on social media, they will reconsider their position concerncing the Zebras on account of this disrespect and dishonesty," Tshekiso further revealed.
Ditlhokwe is not the only player affected but as the captain, it appears he is advocating on behalf of his teammates and especially his fellow national team stars who play their club football abroad like the former Kaizer Chiefs player.
What isn't helping the issue is a lack of unified communication from the BFA, with CEO Mfolo Mfolo initially issuing an apology to Ditlhokwe and other foreign-based players like Gape Mohutsiwa, Kabelo Seakanyeng and Tumisang Orebonye. However, soon after it was second vice-president Kamati who dismissed Mfolo as "acting independently without proper consultation," leading to Kamati's request for Ditlhokwe to be dropped for the important Algeria match.
FUB president Tshekiso's public statements appear to be a final warning for the BFA. "There is no working relationship," Tshekiso said of the FUB's relationship with the BFA. "Since (the current administration) came into office, they have never met the player representatives...the first and last time we met was during the players' boycott in March."
Botswana achieved their second-ever qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations towards the end of 2024 and will participate at the 2025 edition of the AFCON hosted by Morocco, their first participation since 2012. However, there appears to be plenty to sort out before the AFCON finals at the end of 2025.
