FRANCISTOWN: The Botswana Football League (BFL) executive manager’s position has attracted only eight applications, CEO Senzo Mbatha has told Mmegi Sport.

In March, the BFL issued a call for applications for the position, with the closing date in April.

The executive manager is expected to serve as Mbatha’s understudy. Additionally, the person will be expected to take over as the BFL CEO when Mbatha’s 12-month contract expires early next year.

The number of applicants is considerably low as the position is lucrative. Mbatha said some of the applicants were disqualified because they did not meet the requirements for the job. “Four people were shortlisted as meeting the essential and desirable requirements for the job opening,” Mbatha told Mmegi Sport.

The CEO explained that the BFL will move to the next stage of the recruitment process and carry out interviews to narrow down the number to one suitable candidate.

“The expected interview sessions are expected to take place in June and upon the board’s approval, the executive manager is to start before the beginning of the next season. We are progressing well with the recruitment process.

That is why I am very optimistic that the executive manager will be able to start his job before the start of next season.”

It is anticipated that the next league season will start around August. Mbatha, who is a South African national, was recruited as the man to lead the BFA for 12 months on a consultancy basis, with a local to understudy him. That was after the BFL said that it has not been able to find a local to assume the position of CEO.

It was initially thought that either Olebile Sikwane or the Private Secretary to the Assistant Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Tiro Kganela would be considered for the position of CEO but Mbatha got the nod.

It remains unclear as to whether Sikwane and Kganela have thrown in their applications for the executive manager post.

Sikwane recently joined a Tanzanian club as a general manager after quitting his job as head of competitions at the Botswana Football Association (BFA). The BFL operations manager, Patrick Motsepe who at one point was acting CEO has also been previously linked with the vacant position.