Veteran soccer administrator Ashford Mamelodi’s memoirs/book focusing on his time at the helm of Botswana Football Association (BFA) will soon hit the shelves. As the BFA General Secretary for over a decade was not without controversies; hence those that crossed him are anxious about how far he will go to spill the beans in his new book titled ‘Protecting the Game’. He talks to Patriot Sports
Share a window into your life in football
ASHFORD: Where does one start! I have lived a fulfilled life in the game following my passion for a sport that I have always loved. Although I did bang in a few goals as a striker, I was not in the league of your more skillful players, the late Willy Dennison’s of the time. I left football earlier as I felt my energy in the game could best be employed elsewhere. Indeed, I found my place in the games’ management. I learnt as much as I could learn and felt fully empowered to face whatever it was the game threw at me. I lived a fulfilling life in football and cannot ask for more. To say I liked it would be putting it a bit mildly.
What was the highlight of your career, as a player and administrator
ASHFORD: Like I said, I did not get too far with the game as a player. I was proud to be called up to the National Schools team Matshwane; I also got a call up once quite surprisingly to the national team Zebras although the friendly game that had been planned was called off.
Who has got the biggest influence on you – helped advance your football career.
ASHFORD: Three names come to mind although only one was from football. I was great admirer of Sepp Blatter during his tenure in the office of the Secretary General of FIFA until he ascended to the FIFA Presidency. It was a privilege and honour to work for FIFA at the time he was President. The other name, totally unrelated to football was that of Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa starting from the time he was the Secretary General of the African National Congress in South Africa. He is an individual I still admire to date, although I have not met him officially. Nearer home I was also an admirer of the astuteness of Daniel Kwelagobe at the time when he was Secretary General of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party. Even as I did in respect of the last two names, I always knew politics was not for me. I always knew when I was growing into the position of General Secretary of the BFA that I had made a deliberate decision to stay on the administrative side of football and to avoid at all cost the political side. I am proud that this has to date not changed.
You have done it all in soccer – played, ran the league, developed administrators and officials under world soccer body and led a challenge to have Botswana host AFCON final – given a chance to start again would you do it all over again the same way – if not why?
ASHFORD: I would with a great deal of pleasure. I will be wiser with more experience behind me. I am acutely aware that I would not want to do anything else. I was passionate about what I did in football, albeit blindly.
You have now put your life story while at the Botswana Football Association (BFA) into a book– what motivated this?
ASHFORD: I knew midway into my tenure as BFA CEO that it would not be right if I did not pen my memoirs after leaving the BFA. That I managed to publish 24 years since leaving is down to not having much free time until now. I was aware that not all that we did, found its way to the media and public. I always knew that perceptions about us in office were always if not mostly way off the mark. I am also convinced that up and coming administrators of sport could take a leaf from some of the experiences.
What is the gist of the book – any anticipated fallouts and tremors
ASHFORD: The book is a candid and factual account of parts of my journey as BFA Head of Administration for a decade. I don’t expect that there should be any fallouts or tremors as the book represents facts and no distortions. I will challenge anybody to disprove any part of the book. The book is definitely not intended to demean or scandalise anybody. It is just my innocent account of what transpired. It represents if you like the untold stories of the time.
What motivated the title of the book – Protecting the Game?
ASHFORD: Interestingly when I started writing the book, I did not have the title in mind. But as the book was nearing its end, the appropriateness of Protecting the Game became apparent. In my mind everything that I did, whether or not it hurt anybody, was purely and utterly, in my mind, to protect the game. Justification of this comes up quite a bit in the book. There is for example a chapter on Abandoned Family Life. It is captured that my family perhaps bore the biggest brunt of my Protecting the Game. My editors also agreed on the appropriateness of the title.
Relate the title of your book to current circumstances of the local game.
ASHFORD: It would be difficult for me to do so being on the outside, but I am sure some readers will draw parallels with what transpired then and now. In a few cases arguments are made. This is made only in the interest of the game at home.
What was the most exciting experience when you wrote as a first-time publisher?
ASHFORD: I found it quite a thrill. I always knew it would take hard work including research. Although it was and is quite hectic, I quite enjoyed it and belief I have learnt a lot.
Are we set to see a sequel and which areas are you most likely to explore?
ASHFORD: Never say never. A few friends have already made suggestions that include my time at COSAFA & FIFA and possibly Botswana’s attempt to host AFCON 2027. How ‘Protecting the Game’ goes, will define my next steps. After all, I have time now, and like with the BFA, there is much to share. I was COSAFA GS for 16 years the same length of time I spent at FIFA.
What do you consider to be the main problem with Botswana football – many years later the foundation you set has crumbled and we look far more down the ladder to hope to turn things around?
ASHFORD: I do not believe things are as bad as they are made to sound. Like I said being on the outside one cannot precisely tell. Fundamentally I believe returning to the basics is what is required. A few tweaks here and there will reset football back on the correct path. A lot of good things have happened, notably the growth of women’s football. Re-setting our development plan to that of late Ben Koufie’s will be a starting point worth considering.
Reflect on your experience leading the country’s 2027 bid to host the AFCON finals.
ASHFORD: That is a clearly another book and cannot be unpacked in an interview. All that needs to be said at this point is that with a CAF level playing field, Botswana had won the bid to host AFCON 2027 in my mind. Botswana had done enough to merit the award. I will make this argument until the cows come home. I insist that if it was based on the appointed auditors report, Botswana would have won, particularly with the withdrawal of Algeria, who were our only threat. Here again I learnt a lot and so did my team. Maybe, just maybe another book is possible here.
Do you belief the country has any prospects of winning hosting rights in the future?
ASHFORD: Absolutely even as early as 2029 or 2031. We had the requisite political will for this to happen.
Given a chance to start all over again – would you choose the same life again? If not, which way would you go?
ASHFORD: Without a shadow of doubt. I would never abandon my family though. I will be a lot wiser and mature. I would be in a position to offer the game even more.