The rise of Miscellaneous SC
Sport
Since rising from the ashes like the phoenix, Miscellaneous Sporting Club has not looked back. The team, one day, might have to thank Chico Dance Nare. When presented a chance to lead a team from the Northern region for the first time, ‘Chicco’ gave it his all-and left the team in a far much better state.
It has been four seasons since Miscellaneous was promoted back into the elite league, with the second one being the most enjoyable after playing a Top 8 competition for the first time. Despite expectation that the club’s management will waste time and tears following Nare’s departure, they instead tunneled all that energy on their one mission- to maintain their position in the league. Tailing the money making teams in Township Rollers and Jwaneng Galaxy, Miscellaneous is comfortably place at spot no 3 in the log, surely the Serowe based outfit has played to impress.
New coach Oris Radipotsane does not want to be carried away with the performance, more especially after defeating the Goliath in Rollers, he is being a little bit modest. The team’s supporters are not only happy with recent results, they are raving about the transformation in the team. Without necessarily wanting to suggest the glory days are back, The Reds are playing a more adventurous, more attractive brand of football and are winning games they would previously have been content to draw or even lose.
The team coaches are now credited with finally abandoning the cautious approach and now attempting to win as many games as possible. That philosophy has been tested against difficult opponents before and has brought confidence that can catapult the team to greater heights.
The only arising problem is now the loss of striker Bogosi Mfila to Township Rollers. He has been a hard worker with Miscellaneous playing 4-5-1 – and his recent run of good form surely catapulted him to prominence and the club to the top of the Premier League. The 4-5-1 is fluid, with useful attacking contributions provided by an adventurous midfield-cum striker Orebotse Mongae who is currently the club’s top goal scorer with 9 goals.
“We have generally not had a big squad here compared to others, and when we produce our own young players we need to do so in numbers,” Radipotsane said. He added: “We have had some success in doing that, and one of the reasons is that we can promise players that if they are good enough they will get a chance to play. We won't keep kids hanging around; we will put them in the first team early and push them. We can do that because of the size of our club. Some of the bigger clubs find it more difficult.”
While still commanding the side, Chico was quoted as saying “the budget is slim, but players are given a chance to prove themselves so as to be poached by high paying teams.” As it is, Miscellaneous is now the envy of other financially struggling outfits. Even other coaches from other premier league teams can now vouch for that.
It is really inspiring considering the state Miscellaneous was in when it got promoted 4 seasons ago. The last two coaches have done a fantastic job of rebuilding, strengthening, cracking the Top 8 on one occasion and even restoring the club's football reputation. But with the way the Premier League is currently set up, that is about as far as the team can go. Currently, the Serowe outfit is just 10 points behind log leaders Township Rollers and a paltry two points behind Jwaneng Galaxy. With this form and having won two consecutive games, the third spot is theirs for keeps at the end of this race.
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.