Galaxy cajoles Portuguese coach
Sport
Portugal born Coach, Miguel Da Costa has agreed personal terms with premiership heavy weight, Jwaneng Galaxy and is reported to have been given a two-year contract as the club’s measure of seriousness to win championships in the coming season, WeekendSport has been told.
The 38 year-old gaffer is believed to have arrived in Botswana sometimes last week and Galaxy will make an official announcement before the season commences. Da Costa is also expected to pen down a two-year deal after defeating former Gaborone United (GU) mentor Rudolph Zapata to the Galaxy hot seat. Ironically, Da Costa won a league with Vipers Sports Club of Uganda last season but was fired as the season came to an end.
Da Costa's Vipers also reached the final of the Ugandan Cup, where they were defeated by Kampala Capital City Authority Football Club (KCCA FC), now playing champion’s league football with Township Rollers. "I can confirm that after looking through several things as the club goes through a restructuring process, we have parted ways with Da Costa," Abdul Wasike, the club's spokesman told Ugandan reporters. The club has also paid him compensation since he had not served his full contract.
"Da Costa joined Vipers in March 2017, and also helped the club to the quarter final of the CECAFA Kagame Club where they were defeated by Gor Mahia in Dar es Salaam,” Uganda media also claimed. Despite the club's very secret courting of the Portuguese coach, there remains the possibility that Zimbabwean tactician Madinda Ndlovu could compete for the post as he too, is retaining much adoration at Jwaneng for his sterling performances with Botswana football, notably with Mochudi Center Chiefs, Township Rollers and Orapa United — where he never failed to win a silverware.
It is not yet clear if Da Costa will gladly accept the Galaxy offer, but what remains unchallenged is the fact that he has proven his mettle with Ugandan clubs and his ‘ feel’ for African game is unmatched. All the while, Galaxy is cautioned to treat issues of coaching with the seriousness it deserves. Two seasons ago, they sacked award winning coach Mike Sithole for undisclosed reasons. This season, they appointed Serbian coach Zlatko Krmpotic but his stay was as short as a hobbit.
The dents that ultimately bashed his reputation altogether, came when Galaxy fell way short in their domestic title challenge and limping out of the Champions League in the preliminary phase. Krmpotic has protested throughout that in leading Galaxy back to the top of the country’s game after years in the wilderness, he could have not achieved all that could be expected of him. He might have also lamented Galaxy’s lack of impact in last year’s close-season transfer window, having seen good players failing to come to his team and veteran player Boitumelo Mafoko on the side-lines for a long time and later announcing his retirement from the side he faithfully represented, even when the chips were down.
All the while, there are unconfirmed reports that there is a lot of interference from the management of Galaxy which inadvertently gave Krmpotic and Sithole the leverage to lay the blame for these setbacks squarely on the club’s board for moving too slowly in making decisions.
Tebogo Sembowa, Terrence Mandaza and Patrick Kaunda found the net not more than 20 times all combined. Mandaza in particular has not gone beyond 10 goals in the league this term.
Creative midfielders Olebogeng Malebye and Tebogo Sosome have been lacklustre, while Thero Setsile and Thabo Leinanyane are no longer the rocks upon which Galaxy founded last season’s cup triumph. Even the goalkeeper‘s form, Anthony Gous has dived. Arguably the best goalkeeper in the last two seasons, Gous has produced a number of poor performances, with high-profile blunders in games against Township Rollers and Orapa United. Krmpotic’s man-management has also come under scrutiny, and things were further complicated when he could not wrestle the league from Rollers even when numerous opportunities presented themselves. It is now time for the new coach to offer another dimension.
Sport
It’s do or die for Zebras
The senior national team, the Zebras, is currently in Equatorial Guinea to for an African Cup of Nations Qualifiers tie. Before they departed, the team’s coach, Mogomotsi Mpote, had his troops train in Morocco. This was through the agreement between the two countries.
The agreement between the BFA and the Fédération Moroccan Football Association states that the two nations will work together to organize friendly matches between their respective national teams. It also allows the establishment of football camps for the youth categories (U-15, U-17, and U-20), this includes women’s national teams.
The national team has played over 180 minutes in its two qualifying matches against Tunisia and Libya. Currently, the Zebras, Lesotho and Liberia are the only teams that haven’t scored yet in the competition (this is correct by press time on Friday).
Before the match against Equatorial Guinea match, the local boys who were once known as the whipping boys of Africa in the early 2000s, were languishing at the bottom of the log standings in group J. They lost their first match away to Libya on June 1, 2022. However, they managed to salvage a point against Tunisia last year.
Before the team left for Equatorial Guinea, coach Mpote urged his players to focus on keeping their hopes of making a return trip to the AFCON finals alive after an 11 year absence since the maiden appearance in 2012. He noted that they would not allow their opponents to score and would ensure that they would get a draw.
Despite the various changes that have occurred in the two countries’ football landscape, the two teams have only met once before. In 2010, the local boys defeated the Equatorial Guinea team in a friendly match, which ended in an emphatic win for the visitors. Since then, the two sides have realised different fortunes in FIFA rankings, with Equatorial Guinea ranked 51 places above the Zebras.
Meanwhile, in their last six games, Guinea has only managed to win one of them. They drew with Rwanda and Togo in September 2022 friendlies. They have found the back of the net just twice in their six games. On the other hand, the Zebras, won one match against Zambia and lost four on their way to finishing at the bottom of the group with four points. At the conclusion of their previous AFCON campaign, the local boys traveled to Zambia and secured a draw.
MPOTE CONFIDENT
Despite the recent results of the Guinean team, which have only managed to draw with Rwanda and Togo in their last six matches, coach Mpote is still confident that his team will perform well against the hosts.
According to the head coach, the local boys have the necessary skills and resources to perform well against any country. He noted that the team’s coaches have been studying abroad to gain a deeper understanding of the various aspects of football.
“Tactically they should also be ready. We need your (Botswana fans) usual support, when we come back from Equatorial Guinea, we will go to Francistown, and we will need you. You are our 12th player, and you are very important to us.”
OBED ITANI CHILUME STADIUM CERTIFIED
This week, the Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) Tuelo Serufho revealed that the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium will host the return leg of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between the local boys and Equatorial Guinea. The venue had initially failed an inspection test conducted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). However, following the completion of the necessary works, the stadium was allowed to host the match.
According to BNSC Chief, Tuelo Serufho, the various requirements that the stadium must meet included having a designated parking area for the media and spectators, as well as having signage that will guide the spectators. He also noted that the venue now has a world-class media area.
Sport
Jagdish Shah rejects Rollers society
Township Rollers, one of the country’s most decorated football clubs with 15 premier league titles, is finding itself in a precarious situation as its long-term chief financier, Jagdish Shah, threatens to dump them if the society does not bow down to his demand of forfeiting their 20 percent interest in the company.
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Sport
Orange injects P350 000 into Phikwe marathon
Mobile network Orange Botswana is committed to supporting the development of local sport. Through its sponsorship, the company will be able to promote and market the sport. According to Maano Masisi, the company believes that sport can unite people from different backgrounds.
He stated that through the sponsorship of the marathon, the company will help promote healthy lifestyles and unity among the people of Selebi Phikwe.
The Selebi Phikwe Marathon is scheduled to take place on July 29, 2023. It is expected that it will attract international, regional, and social runners. A total of P216 000 has been allocated for the prize money for the first ten places in the 42.2 km race. For the 15km and 10km races, the LOC will give away prizes to the first five places.