Kent FA’s football development team have gone global with a brand new project designed to help players in Botswana.
Soho Square have given their blessing to a three-year partnership with the Football Association of Botswana, which was originally agreed in 2006 and will see Kent coaches working with the country’s South East Regional FA.
The partnership, which aims to develop the game in grassroots regions across the African country, was set up by Kent FA Chief Executive, Keith Masters: “The people are football mad and are very knowledgeable about the game in England, with nearly everyone supporting a Premier League team,” said Keith who is a regular visitor to the capital, Gaborone, and recently presented the South East Regional FA with a laptop computer to celebrate the project’s launch.
Kent FA are not the only British influence in Botswana football as Keith explained: “The national team are known as the Zebras and their manager is Colwyn Rowe who used to play for Colchester United.
“He’s achieved some good results of late, with the most recent being a very creditable result against Egypt,” said Keith of the former Layer Road man.
Kent FA’s Head Coach, Alan Walker, was recently in Gaborone where the Association staged a basic coaching course for 26 clubs from the region and the hope is that more County Associations will sign up to the project and assist African nations in the near future.
Local Kent clubs have also played their part in the Botswana project by sending much needed kit and equipment and Keith commented: “The intention now is to create a firm structure for the local game to build on and to assist the development of the game for youths, girls and women within the Region.”
Kent FA are no strangers to working in Africa, with Keith having already assisted on a variety of academy and kit and equipment projects in Tanzania where he was recently made European President of the Tanzania Youth Sports Charity Organisation.