Rollers coach joins PSL side
Sport
DStv Premiership side Marumo Gallants has announced former Tiownship Rollers coach, Romain Folz as their head coach for the upcoming 2022/2023 season.
“Coach Folz comes with an extensive track record of leading teams abroad, and across Africa, including his previous role at Botswana-based Township Rollers F.C. The appointment comes following the expiration of outgoing coach Maleselas contract, said Gallants chairman Abram Sello
“‘We welcome Coach Romain Folz to the team, he brings an impressive and energetic approach to football that we believe will be a great fit for Marumo Gallants”. “Folz officially takes over the role of Gallants coach from the end of June 2022.
For his part, Folz said “I am very happy and honoured to join Marumo Gallants F.C. and a league such as the PSL. My first words are for our fans. I can only tell them that all the efforts and work we will put in every single day is for them. We want to make them proud, and I will dedicate all my time and energy to reach that goal,’ said Folz.”
The 31 year old former Rollers coach becomes the second Frenchman to take charge of Gallants, following in the footsteps of current Cameroon national team assistant coach. Furthermore, it is not only in the neighbouring South Africa where Folzs name is heard on the corridors as he has also emerged as one of the candidates for the Simba SC coaching job in Tanzania. Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has also been linked with the post.
Township Rollers coach Romain Folz is one of the coaches in the running for the coaching job at Simba in Tanzania. He is assessing his options as there is a possibility of him also coming to the PSL next season. The coachs South African-based representatives are talking to two PSL clubs, said the source.
Meanwhile according to the reports, Folz is a nomadic coach who always walks away from teams. There were reports in Ghana before he joined Mapalastina in December indicating that he terminated his contract with Ashanti Gold just a month into his job after disagreements with the top hierarchy of the club. Prior to Ashanti Gold job he coached another Ghanaian team Bechem Chelsea where he lasted for only six months.
Rollers club financier Jackdish Shah said if the young tactician gets a better offer somewhere, there is nothing wrong about it. He further said Folzs contract with Popa expired at the end of the season and as a club they were yet to table an offer for him. “If there’s a better offer somewhere what’s wrong if he goes for it. We are talking of someone’s welfare here, our league has no sponsors. There are no gate-takings.
“In some other leagues stadiums are always full, but here thats a different case “So, we’ve always released players for greener pastures. Same applies to coach, if an offer is great we are happy for him,” Shah said. Nevertheless, amongst players who have found a lease life under Folz are youngsters Bame Morwalela and Phenyo Serameng.
The young tactician also managed to bring back to form the likes of Motsholetsi Sikele and Segolame Boy who finished as the club top scorer, whom seem to be enjoying a new lease of life under the coach towards the end of the season.
Following the sacking of Hassan Oktay, a Turkish born gaffer, Bennett Mamelodi who is Township Rollers Chief Executive Officer (CEO) made a brave prediction saying The name of the next coach at Rollers will shock a few people, he declared.
A few days later, Rollers announced the arrival of a relatively unknown French tactician Romain Folz as the new man to take the reins at the blues who went on and signed a short contract which lapsed in May. Little Ngwana, as Rollers supporters affectionately called him led Mapalastina to a second place finish in the league with 66 points after taking over in December. Folzs impressive work didnt go unnoticed, the 31 year one French tactician has joined South Africas Marumo Gallants.
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.