It’s do or die for Zebras
Sport
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
Butler arrives at GU: Should Piro fear for his job?
The arrival of former Zebras coach Peter James Butler is believed to have unsettled incumbent coach Pontsho Moloi.
While Nicolas Zakhem has denied that the former Zebras head coach could be taking over the reins in the dugout, WeekendSport has established that Pontsho ‘Piro’ Moloi’s contract will end in June.
GU Communication Manager Herbert Letsebe informed this publication yesterday [Friday] that they are still in negotiations with coach Moloi as his contract expires at the end of June. Letsebe stated that the club values Moloi, whom they see as an energetic and ambitious coach with a great future ahead of him.
Nonetheless, the defending premier league champions, Gaborone United, made an official announcement this week that they have appointed the Briton-born gaffer as the new Director of Football at the club. Butler’s main responsibility will be to oversee all the structures at the club, including both the senior and women’s teams.
In 2019, WeekendSport reported that Butler, who is a close friend of Zakhem, was seriously considering joining GU as the technical director.
When speaking to the Gaborone United media team this week, Butler said: “I never stop learning; I am always looking to learn. If I can help him (Pontsho) become a better coach, a better person, if I can help him one day to go on and represent the country at the national team level, great, that would be wonderful.”
“I am not here to take his job; I can categorically state that. I am here to help Pontsho Moloi. I have always said that I wouldn’t come back and coach here at the domestic level, but I would coach in a more director development sense. He (Pontsho Moloi) has a lot of positives. He has areas where he needs to work on. If I can help him brush up in those areas, great stuff.”
Furthermore, the club director Zakhem announced restructuring changes within the technical team in February, elevating Moloi to the role of head coach while Benny Kgomela was redeployed to the position of General Manager (Technical), with his main role being to oversee issues relating to the senior team, ladies team, developmental sides, and other technical matters of the teams.
Kgomela, who joined Moyagoleele in August 2022 on a one-year contract, will also will leave the club at the end of this month. Kgomela will follow the path of former Head Coach Innocent Morapedi, who parted ways with The Reds this week.
However, investigations by this publication depict a trend in which coaches who are usually appointed as Technical Directors are elevated to the head coach positions, pushing out the current head coach at the time.
Normally, when that time comes, a common theme of “parted ways amicably with our coach with immediate effect” becomes the norm for premier clubs, with the reasons for such changes not known as they are not normally revealed to third parties.
In 2021, Orapa United Football Club brought in Philemon Makhwengwe as a Technical Director with responsibilities including collaborating with the head office to provide technical input, improving the youth structures, developing an improved youth football syllabus, mentoring upcoming coaches, leading the team into CAF club competitions, talent identification, evaluation mechanisms, and superior strategic thinking for team design and devising future plans.
Da Phil, as he is affectionately known, was later appointed as the head coach of the club.
Meanwhile, The Reds have so far lost two games in the current season, the same number of losses they suffered last year. GU’s chances of defending the title they won after 13 seasons are now slim, as they trail Jwaneng Galaxy by five points with only two rounds to play.
Based on this, it remains to be seen if Coach Piro will be at the helm of the plum post when the 2023/2024 football season starts in August.
Sport
Ditlhokwe begins new era at Kaizer chiefs
Botswana International, Thatayaone Ditlhokwe, donned the Supersport United jersey for the last time when they lost 1-0 to Sekhukhune United this past weekend.
During the transfer window, the 24-year-old lanky defender signed a pre-contract with the Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs, and he is set to start his new lease of life on the 1st of July 2023.
‘TT,’ as he is affectionately known, was introduced to South African football back in 2019 when Supersport United secured his services for a period of three years from Gaborone United. The young lad never looked back as he instantly broke into the starting eleven and quickly became one of the trusted members of the squad.
In the 2022/23 campaign, the Gulubane-born player played 2286 minutes, scored two times, and collected five yellow cards, which is fair for a defender of his calibre.
Still in this campaign, United missed the chance to play in the CAF Confederations Cup as they finished 3rd in the league. Prior to that, they were knocked out by Dondol Stars (2-1) in the Nedbank Cup round of 32.
Meanwhile, Amakhosi had a season to forget as they recorded mixed results, which were caused by a number of factors, including the lack of a well-structured defence, thus affecting their results.
Back in January 2023, Chiefs were hammered 4-0 by Amazulu as their defence was found ailing all the time, raising questions about whether the local lad could be the answer to their defensive woes.
Amakhosi’s central defense boasts players such as Zitha Kwinika, Edmilson Dove, Njabulo Ngcobo, Austin Dube, and Siyabonga Ngezana. Eric Mathoho will leave the club after 11 years.
In this tough aforementioned competition, TT will be looking to use the experience he gained at United to try and cement his place in the team, as he was sometimes used at left-back because of his versatility.
Additionally, being the captain of the Botswana National football team for the past three years will also come in handy as Chiefs will be gunning for every trophy on offer in the coming season, hence there will be high pressure and competition for places in the team.
In an interview with this publication, football analyst Thato Kgosimore said Ditlhokwe’s stay at Supersport United was successful as he managed to attract interest from one of the biggest clubs in the country.
“Ditlhokwe’s stay at Supersport United was commendable. He arrived and cemented a place in the starting eleven and was also amongst the leaders in the team, which helped excel in his role in the national team,” Kgosimore said.
“Furthermore, he will be joining Chiefs in the coming months, and I expect him to continue where he left off at Supersport United, regardless of the pressure that comes with playing for Chiefs.”
Kgosimore added that Chiefs is a big team and a great platform for Ditlhokwe to even go to Europe.
“Chiefs is a big team, and Ditlhokwe stands a better chance of plying his trade in Europe. However, that will be determined by his level of commitment and consistency at his new club, which I believe he will do diligently. I wish him all the best of luck,” added Kgosimore.
Meanwhile, Ditlhokwe told Sowetanlive that being a captain of the Botswana national team has prepared him to deal with any kind of football-related pressure.
“I have captained my national team at the age of 21 so I don’t think there’s any pressure that can [surpass] what I have been already through,” Ditlhokwe said during SuperSport’s 2022-23 awards ceremony on Monday.
“It’s just a normal challenge that every player can face. There’s no player that can grow without challenges — you need to be tested. “It’s a big test, I know but at the end of the day the same way I managed before is the same way I’m going to manage [at Chiefs].”
News
Local tennis team upbeat ahead of Billie Jean King cup
With almost two weeks until the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup, which will be staged in Kenya from June 12-17, 2023, the Botswana Tennis Association (BTA) ladies’ team coach, Ernest Seleke, is optimistic about reaching greater heights.
Billie Jean King Cup, or the BJK Cup, is a premier international team competition in women’s tennis, launched as the Federation Cup to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The BJK Cup is the world’s largest annual women’s international team sports competition in terms of the number of nations that compete.
The finals will feature 12 teams (Botswana, Burundi, Ghana, Kenya, Seychelles, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Tunisia, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo) competing in the four round-robin groups of three. The four group winners will qualify for the semifinals, and the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup will be crowned after the completion of the knockout phase.
Closer to home, the BW Tennis team is comprised of Thato Madikwe, Leungo Monnayoo, Chelsea Chakanyuka, and Kelebogile Monnayoo. However, according to Seleke, they have not assembled the team yet as some of the players are still engaged.
“At the moment, we are depending on the players and their respective coaches in terms of training. However, I will meet up with Botswana-based players in the coming week, while the United States of America (USA) based player Madikwe will probably meet us in Kenya. Furthermore, Ekua Youri and Naledi Raguin, who are based in Spain and France respectively, will not be joining us as they will be writing their examinations,” said Seleke.
Seleke further highlighted the significance of this competition and how competitive it is. “It is a massive platform for our players to showcase their talent in tennis, and it is very competitive as countries target to get promoted to the world categories where they get to face big nations such as Spain, France, USA, and Italy. Though we are going to this tournament as underdogs because it is our second time participating, I’m confident that the girls will put in a good showing and emerge with results despite the odds,” highlighted Seleke.
Quizzed about their debut performance at the BJK Cup, he said, “I think our performance was fair considering the fact that we were newbies. We came third in our group after losing to North Macedonia and South Africa. We went on to beat Uganda, then Kenya in the playoffs. Unfortunately, we couldn’t play Burundi due to heavy rainfall and settled for the position 9/10,” he said.
For her part, team representative Leungo Monnayoo said they are working hard as they aim to do well at the tourney. “The preparations for the tourney have long begun because we practice each and every day. We want to do well, hence we need to be motivated. Furthermore, I believe in my team as we have set ourselves a big target of coming home with the trophy,” she said.