Harambee stars in Amrouche back love
Sport
Kenyan Football Federation is reported to have enquired about the availability of former coach, Adel Amrouche, few months after the Zebras coach won a case against them for unfair dismissal.
Amrouche who signed a two year contract with Botswana Football Association (BFA) is restless as Kenya Federation is bombarding him with calls to re- employ him. It is said the Algerian of Serbian origin is considering the contract offer but will not want to dump The Zebras whose involvement is yet to bear fruits.
According to Amrouches observation, Kenya might be only attracted to him because of their debt and sanctions they may face should they fail to pay. However, it will seem that Kenyan football will enjoy yet another lifeline after coach Adel Amrouche agreed to wait a little longer for the settlement of a Sh109 million debt owed to him by Football Kenya Federation (FKF).
Initially, world football governing body, FIFA had extended the payment deadline to Friday of last week. According to reliable sources, FKF had requested for another extension owing to the current coronavirus pandemic that has slowed down the economy globally.
And Friday, Fifa, in a letter to FKF, said the case would be resubmitted to its disciplinary committee on May 18 for evaluation and final determination. Severe punishment awaits Kenya should the Algeria-born Belgian coachs arrears remain unpaid, most significantly Harambee Stars expulsion from the 2022 World Cup qualifying programme. Amrouche said he had accepted Fifas request for another postponement of the deadline.
Amrouche began his football career in 2002 where he was appointed as the manager of Congolese club Daring Club Motema Pembe. In 2007, Amrouche became the coach of the Burundi national football team. On 1 January 2011, Amrouche turned down an offer to take over the vacant managerial role of Algerian club ES Stif, preferring to continue in his role with the Burundi national team. On 29 February 2012, Amrouche resigned as the manager of Burundi, just a day after a 21 win against Zimbabwe in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
In February 2013, Amrouche was named coach of the Kenya national football team taking over the position from James Nandwa who was there on temporary basis after the departure of Henri Michel. After 18 months at the helm, he was sacked on 3 August 2014 following Kenya’s 10 aggregate loss to Lesotho in the second round of qualification for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
He managed USM Alger in 2016. He became manager of the Libyan national team in May 2018. He resigned from the position in October 2018.
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.