A Botswana football administrator has landed a plum job in Tanzania.
Former Botswana Football Association [BFA] head of competitions and operations, Olebile Sikwane, was unveiled by Singida Fountain Gate FC on Wednesday.
Sikwane left the Botswana FA last month to take up a post as chief executive officer (CEO) in the East African country.
His move to Tanzania comes at a time when topflight team Singida Big Stars are sold to Japhet Makau, the owner of Fountain Gate.
Addressing journalists at the Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam, he said he was merging the two clubs. The new team will be called Singida Fountain Gate FC and Sikwane will head it as CEO.
Olebile Sikwane LEAVING HIS ‘COMFORT ZONE’
Speaking at the same event, Sikwane said he saw the move as an opportunity to leave his “comfort zone in Botswana”.
He added that he was up for the challenge as the team prepares to venture into the continent.
“I’ve found the club in a good position. By our standards it’s a remarkable achievement that we finished in the top four,” he said.
“When you go into Africa, the costs are huge and when I do my arithmetic it’s a bit more. So we should be intentional about the group stages.
“If we are going to experience the preliminaries it’s a bit tricky. We want to establish ourselves as a top four club, but without limiting ourselves from challenging for the league title,” Sikwane said.
He joined the BFA exactly a year ago, but decided to leave and explore the Tanzania opportunity.
Sikwane brings a wealth of experience to Singida Fountain Gate. He is a FIFA and BFA accredited football agent. He is also a published author and a renowned football administrator.
The administrator worked for some of Botswana’s top teams Gaborone United as General Manager and Mochudi Centre Chiefs where he served as vice chairman. He holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of the Western Cape. In addition, Sikwane has a certificate in Comparative Constitutional Law from Howard University in the United States.
Sikwane has background in the financial services sector. He served as Head of Business Development and General Manager for Collection Africa/Credit Reference Bureau Group.
RELATED STORY: eSwatini teams cry foul over gate takings
