Troubled Botswana Football Association (BFA) this week sacked long-serving welfare manager Sakaeyo Jane and goalkeeper coach Joseph Maposa.
The two were unceremoniously relieved of their duties ahead of the national team camp conducted in Jwaneng, where the squad is preparing for their upcoming COSAFA Cup assignment against Zambia next week in South Africa.
Sunday Standard established that the predicament started when the national team was in Morocco for a week-long camp when players wanted their allowances to be credited into their accounts.
It is said players could not buy toiletries due to lack of funds. Jane’s efforts to get the association to pay players were futile and allegedly landed him in hot soup.
Sources close to the matter have revealed to this publication that Jane was bound for the exit door after the departure of former national team coach Peter Butler who parted ways with the BFA last week.
Well known for his crotchety with regards to players’ welfare, Butler is said to have been one of Jane’s close allies and it was only a matter of time before being shown the door at the football governing body.
“The practice is that the coach determines his technical team but this was not the case as caretaker coach Oris Radipotsane was not consulted when Jane and Maposa were sacked.
“There has always been a perspective that Jane was Butler’s right hand man who influenced some of his decisions and he stood no chance after his departure. Butler always advocated for players’ welfare which was directed at Jane who had no option but to push the BFA to pay players which brushed the association the wrong way at some point,” a source told Sunday Standard.
Jane said that it was his role as welfare manager to consider both the association and players’ interests balance positively for the sake of the national team to compete against the best in the continent.
“Until the BFA gets rid of predicaments surrounding players allowances we are never going to have a smooth camp. We need to meet obligations and if we fail as the association we need to talk to players well in time to avoid disappointments and the problem is that the BFA has a tendency of ignoring their obligation towards players,” Jane told Sunday Standard.
“The duties of a welfare manager are very challenging especially when there are issues of money. I have players’ welfare at heart and also had to protect the association which was a very difficult task that needs caution to deal with. It is a fact that players need money to perform but now it is a culture at the BFA that players are paid after a struggle,” said Jane.
