The 3-day workshop addressed issues of planning, finance, administration, personnel, membership, football development structures, participation, competitions, discipline, refereeing, facilities, PR and marketing. Delegates from regions, clubs and leagues all over the country, including 5 female administrators and a gentleman who had travelled no less than 430 km, were joined by two Executive Committee members from the Lesotho FA, who, along with Botswana and Malawi, is one of England's partners under the UEFA-CAF Meridian Project.

The first day covered planning processes with each team asked to put together a mission statement. Working in 4 groups, who named themselves Fair Play, Acting Ants, Botihakasa ("Excellence") and Ditshukudu ("Rhinos"), delegates' priorities centred noticeably on setting up good youth structures and being models of excellence in football administration. The Acting Ants came up with the aim: "to educate and develop a human being through the use of football from a tender age (mentally and physically)".

Delegates responded enthusiastically to the interactive nature of the workshop modules, complemented by Nationwide prizes for various activities. "Nothing is ever achieved without enthusiasm", Ray Kiddell, FA Vice President, told delegates. "We are all striving for excellence .. the pursuit of excellence is not a goal but a journey".

For Mr Kiddell and the FA tutors alike, the workshop was a valuable learning experience in giving them an understanding of the sometimes very different issues which face African football. As part of a SWOT analysis, for example, delegates were asked to discuss their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, the latter including HIV / AIDS, lack of facilities, alcohol abuse, crime and lack of financing. Strengths included stability, government support, economy and the spirit of volunteering, whilst one opportunity highlighted was the partnership with The FA and the affiliation to FIFA, CAF and COSAFA.

By the end of Day 2, the desire to learn was unrelenting, with all 36 delegates completing a second intensive training day. One delegate commented on how they were "learning a great deal from The F.A. and were not bored!"

"I was really impressed by the level of commitment and enthusiasm of the delegates", commented Peter Kay, "many of whom have travelled far and wide to learn about progressing their skills in the administration of the game of football".

Included in the programme was a visit to the SOS Children's Village, The FA's international charity partner, where the SOS U12 team took on FA training officers at football, with FA Vice President Ray Kiddell as honorary referee. His Excellency, the British High Commissioner to Gaborone, David Merry, accompanied the tour of the village, led by the "village father" Kitso. The 200 or so abandoned or orphaned children, ranging from babies to teenagers, were full of smiles as they were presented with FA t-shirts and footballs, along with FAPL yearbooks and stickers, kindly donated to The F.A.'s IDP by TOPS, an FA licensee. One young girl showed her enthusiasm by placing a sticker of Andy Cole on her left cheek.

"All you need is a ball and some kids and they all start speaking the international language of football", said Mark Ives, while Ray Kiddell was moved by the experience: "it was worth travelling all this way just to see the enthusiasm on those children's faces".

The British High Commissioner David Merry, who had opened the workshop alongside David Fani, BFA President, Ray Kiddell, FA Vice President and Director, members of the Sports Council and the press, supported the two national associations' commitment to continued positive long-term co-operation via the UEFA-CAF Meridian Project. Earlier this year, The FA hosted the Botswana National U20 team training camp, as well as coaches and referees on various courses at Lilleshall during the summer. The FA has also furnished the BFA with national team kits, training kits and footballs for their youth teams, while Mr Kiddell presented David Fani with additional footballs and kits from FA suppliers Mitre and Umbro.