Botswana Football Association (BFA) has opened talks with South African ABSA Premiership side Polokwane City over the availability of former national team shot stopper Modiri Marumo.
News reaching Sunday Standard is that the BFA top brass is on a mission to overhaul national teams as witnessed over the weekend when they announced junior national teams’ coaches, the latest being Marumo who will be roped in as national team goalkeeper coach.
Close sources told this publication that talks between BFA and Marumo were at an advanced stage. While Marumo currently plies his trade as City’s goalkeeper coach, it is said the BFA seeks to have the former BDF XI goalkeeper on a part time basis when the Zebras are engaged.
‘’The BFA feels Marumo’s experience is vital for the national team and are currently in talks with his club. The deal could have been completed before the announcement of junior teams coaches that was witnessed over the weekend,” a source said.
In a letter leaked to Sunday Standard, BFA Technical and Development Committe chairman Masego Nchingane addressed BFA president Maclean Letshwiti and his vice president Segolame Ramotlhwa that they had identified and sought to bring on board the former national team goalkeeper.
‘’We are still in negotiations with Polokwane City regarding Modiri Marumo’s appointment as Zebras goalkeeper coach and he will be engaged on part time basis,” read the letter. Marumo’s goalkeeping experience was vital to Zebras’ maiden 2012 Afcon appearance under the tutelage of former Zebras coach Stanley Tshosane.
The lanky goalkeeper was one of the few local players to have made a mark in the professional set-up when he departed Botswana to play in the Egyptian league. Marumo was the first choice goalkeeper of top flight side Haras El Hodood in the Egyptian elite league. The shot stopper’s stint in the league ended after two seasons when the Egyptian football mother body banned signing of foreign goalkeepers in a mission to develop domestic goal minders.
Marumo then landed in the South African National First Division at Bay United. He was part of the squad that promoted the club to the ABSA Premiership where it changed its name to Polokwane City. Since retiring from active football a season ago, Polokwane retained Marumo as their goalkeeper coach after his loyalty to the club.
