MAPANTSOLA WOO KAVAZONIC
Highly rated Serbian tactician and former Township Rollers gaffer, Nikola Kavazovic is reportedly a top target of Lobatse based giants, Extension Gunners.
Two games have been played in the Botswana Football League (BFL) but Oupa Kowa who was roped in on a three year deal to lead Mapantsola is yet to take charge and he is currently on the sidelines after being suspended by the club.
Kowa was served with a suspension letter by the club for misconduct upon his return from Lesotho, following his engagements with the national Under 20 team, a situation which saw him miss almost the entire period of the club’s pre-season preparations.
With the two parties seemingly too far apart from smoking the peace pipe, close sources have revealed that plans are already underway to find a suitable candidate to take the reigns of the technical area and Kavazovic is a prime candidate. The Serbian, who has been out of the country for almost a year and a half now, is said to be keen on the move as it could offer him another gateway to one of the continent’s top teams. Financial struggles of Mapantsola are well documented and attracting the services of Kavazovic’s caliber is beyond fathomable reality as he might not come cheap.
However, there are reports that one of the clubs’ staunch supporters and a business mogul is ready to bankroll the move and sanction Kavazovic’s arrival. “They have contacted him and he is weighing his options, he wants to return to Africa and Gunners could provide him with an opportunity to make his mark once again, he’s a top coach. Gunners are struggling financially, YES, but figures around P15 000 to P20 000 have been mentioned and he could consider such from what I have been told,” a reliable informant close to the club’s dealings shared.
“Countries have built beautiful facilities for sport and some have been left to dilapidate, we have been to 10 other countries [Region 5 members], facilities have been constructed in all these countries and it is sad to see dilapidation of some of those facilities; that is a huge cost, it is a huge loss and it weighs heavily on governments’ spending. We need to have plans to maintain facilities, that is critical,” he said. Mutoya gave Botswana as an example, quoting that only Obed Itani Chilume stadium has been accredited to host Confederation of African Football (CAF) competitions despite having other two facilities, National Stadium and Lobatse sports complex, which should be able to host.
He said AUSC Region 5 recommends building or refurbishing structures to meet international and or Olympics’ standards of various sporting events and therefore, facilities must be a treasured legacy for hosting countries to provide a proper conduit for development. “Building a stadium is one thing, maintaining it is another, it can become a cost heavier than constructing, the message that we are sending to our members is that, let’s make deliberate efforts to maintain and not let these facilities to dilapidate. Let’s maintain them, let’s have ways to utilize them. Whilst we maintain them, we must also utilize them well and privatize some of their services. It is a conversation we are having right now as Region 5 to seriously engage our governments through our council of ministers to see what forms of interventions we can make around issues of maintenance and facilities,” AUSC CEO shared.
In addition, with at least, 21 days left to the Lilongwe, Malawi 2022 Region 5 finals, Mutoya highlighted that all is set to deliver successful games despite challenges resulting from economic inflation and COVID-19. “The economic global challenges have exacerbated the costs materials and fuel, various industries are still trying to recover and you’ll find that the corporate sector appetite is subdued. I am however glad that we have overcome a number of challenges faced and there are measures in place to deliver successful games,” Mutoya added. The finals in Lilongwe have been themed, “Igniting the African dream”.
“We are reigniting the trajectory for development in Africa and we are using sports to achieve that. Sport must never be just about filling stadiums, it must also drive socio-economic developments for people,” he emphasized.
Mutoya mentioned former Kaizer Chiefs striker Collins Mbesuma, local 800m star runner Nijel Amos, South African sprinter Wayde van Niekerk and current Leicester City striker Patson Daka as some of the athletes who have gone through the Region 5 competition.
He highlighted that the AUSC Region 5 competitions seek to promote development in the region, with the upcoming finals set to unearth stars who are expected to challenge for podium finishes come Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.