Gaborone United (GU) have assured their supporters that they will not rush into appointing a new coach. The Reds were left without a gaffer after they fired Zimbabwean Elvis Chiweshe last month following a series of uninspiring performances by the club. Since then GU have been under the watchful eye of interim coach Rapelang Tsatsilebe assisted by Phillemon Makwengwe. Since the departure of Chiweshe, the Reds have managed to regroup and posted two wins against Uniao Flamengo Santos (Mascom Top 8 first leg) and Extension Gunners (league).
At the time when the former Dynamos mentor was shown the exit door, the management claimed that the mood was at an all time low and they needed someone who would change the situation. Immediately, the name of Zebras’ assistant coach Kenneth Mogae was linked to the club. This came after Mogae held talks with the club but it is reported that nothing came out of the negotiations. Some within GU camp said that Mogae’s appointment would not help because he is always with the national team.
“There is no doubt that he is a good coach. Remember when he was with Boteti, he spent most of the time with the national Under-23. That led to Boteti’s relegation and I doubt if GU management would like to see the team going down,” said a source.
After their 3-0 win over Gunners, some people are said to have advised the GU executive committee to hold on their decision to make an appointment. They are said to have hinted that the players seem to be happy under the guidance of Tsatsilebe, who is a former GU star. On Friday, GU secretary Herbert Letsebe confirmed that they are going to take time before they name a new tactician.
“We’ll take time to appoint a new coach because we don’t want to repeat past mistakes where we appointed coaches without researching about them. There are lots of applications coming through but like I said we’ll take time to go through them,” said Letsebe.
He said that at the moment they are happy at the way things have gone and pointed out that Tsatsilebe deserves to be given a chance. Letsebe asserted that their players seem to have regained their confidence under the new regime, something which has once again brought hope to their supporters. Under the current technical team, Letsebe believes that it is a matter of time before GU find their winning formula. Since the league has eluded the Reds, those close to the team believe that Mascom Top 8 and Coca-Cola Cup should be their main priorities. Since GU seat remained vacant, a number of coaches have been linked to the club including Mogae, Sikalame Keatlholetswe and Wesley Mondo.
On Thursday, Sunday Standard was reliably informed that GU have enquired about the availability of former Township Rollers and Mochudi Centre Chiefs’ head coach Rahman Gumbo. He is currently coaching FC Platinum in the Zimbabwean Premier League and the rich outfit finished second last season. Gumbo is known as a true professional who would change the fortunes of the Reds around if he decides to come back here. He was appointed an interim coach for the Zimbabwean national team in February when they played Burundi in the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
