Nkosilathi Sibanda Sports Reporter
A TEAM of entrepreneurs from Botswana investment group Smart Partnership will take part in a two-day soccer tournament involving two Bulawayo Amateur Football Association (Bafa) teams this weekend as part of their southern African tour to link football with business. The tournament, the first of its kind in the city, will feature Unity Village FC and Continental FC, in what would be more than just a soccer extravaganza.
The Botswana side is made up of businessmen with an interest in sport who use football as a vehicle to build business links in the southern African region.
According to Bafa chairman Chris Mtungwazi, the two-day tournament is aimed at equipping players and administrators in the lower league with business skills.
“This is an initiative to use our game as a platform to establish business links. Soccer is a business and there are some concepts that we have to grasp, which we hope to learn from this tournament,” said Mtungwazi.
“The team from Botswana is here to play and also network. They will play against Continental FC and Unity Village and the reason for choosing lower division teams is because they need such support. Most Bafa and social league teams are run and played for by businesspeople and this tournament will certainly be of benefit to them,” he said.
Mtungwazi said the Botswana businessmen will also watch some Southern Region Division One league matches to scout for talent.
He said with the Smart Partnership tournament, players from lower leagues could find themselves plying their trade for some top teams in other southern African countries.