MPOTE’S TURN
“We know that football is a competitive sport, we are also aware that we need a strong Premier League for the national team to perform well, that is why we have intensified our coaching development exercise to enhance proper development of players. We have asked him to lead us to 2025 AFCON finals, 2023 is too soon so we have given him time to build the team,” Nchingane told Sun Sport.
“We have come closer to qualifying for CHAN TotalEnergies African Nations Championship finals, this year we lost to Madagascar by a 1 goal to miss out on qualification, so we expect him to reach the finals of CHAN in 2024. I personally feel we have to win something, I know that Council of Southern Africa Football Associations is for development but he has to win it or at least reach the finals of the competition,” the former Zebras midfielder added.
The former Township Rollers coach has always been open about his desire to lead the senior men national team and strongly believes that with the current crop of players, qualifying for the AFCON finals is a realistic
objective.
Mpote is currently part of the group that is undergoing CAF A license course which is set to be completed next February and will enable him to satisfy CAF coaching requirements to take charge of CAF assignments.
Nchingane further reassured Mpote that the association will fully back him and provide all the necessary support to help him reach his mandate with the team.
“For the past year, we have been active in all FIFA international breaks and we will maintain that, we even bring all our international players because we want to give Mpote all the support he needs. We know there is a perception that we support foreign coaches more than the locals. We are also aware that African indigenous coaches are the ones who have taken their teams to the upcoming Qatar World Cup, they understand their players better, so we are going to fully support our coach. We want him to be successful, his success is the success achievement of the BFA,” Nchingane said.
With Botswana and Namibia (BONA) working hard to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the local football governing office
leadership is looking to prepare a team that will not only participate but challenge for the continent’s most coveted football title.
The BFA Chief Executive Officer, Mfolo Edwin Mfolo recently shared that with Botswana and Namibia (BONA) bidding for the AFCON 2027, the government is willing to support and help all national team coaches hired on permanent basis.
Back in 2019, Tshekedi Khama, the then Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, strongly backed the idea of hiring a local coach after Mpote reached the finals of the COSAFA Cup competition in South Africa but the association went on to appoint Adel Amrouche.
Mogomotsi Mpote is a familiar name within football circles. His contributions to local football development and success are very much well documented; having won the league title with Township Rollers, the experienced gaffer whose coaching development entails learnings at Villa Park (Aston Villa Stadium).
Stanley Tshosane became the first coach to qualify the team to the AFCON finals in 2012, while international coaches have failed to deliver the same success.