TRAINED COACHES YET TO RECEIVE LICENSES
A few years have passed since coaches went into training under BFA
The Botswana Football Coaches Association (BFCA) recently cracked open a can of worms over the pending coaching courses that are yet to be completed by the Botswana Football Association (BFA). Several coaches have not been awarded their licenses despite having completed their courses back in 2016.
Amongst the top coaches are Daniel Nare, Mogomotsi Mpote, Rapelang Tsatsilebe and Innocent Morapedi who are currently waiting in anticipation for their A Licenses.
They completed the course in 2018 and there is no clear communication as to when the coaches will be awarded their licenses. Assistant coaches like Mopholosi Reaitsanye of Gilport Lions and Pontsho Moloi of Gaborone United will need their C Licenses to sit on the bench in the upcoming season as per the club licensing requirements. In an interview this week BFCA President, Nelson Olebile said they have been waiting for the BFA to clear the matter. “We have requested a meeting with them to give us an official stand and update on the issue.” Furthermore, he said they were once told that the courses will be finished sometimes in August and October last year, “but as of date, we haven’t received anything that assures us that indeed the courses will be completed,”he said. With the newly established Botswana Football League (BFL) putting stringent measures on club licensing, coaches will be required to have these licenses before the resumption of the league and the BFCA is working around the clock to ensure compliance. Olebile stressed that if coaches are not awarded these licenses it will have a negative impact and some might lose their jobs. “It will definitely affect them in a negative way because coaches are losing jobs due to lack of the right credentials.” Interestingly, Olebile said the Memorandum of Understanding signed between BFA and BFCA earlier this year has been very fruitful. “We are now working closely with the BFA than ever before,” he said. Although the former BFA Technical Director, Serame Letsoaka was applauded for breathing life into coach education locally, some are accusing him of conducting coaching courses while CAF had suspended them.