Zebras’ coach Stanley Tshosane is on record as saying that he cannot lose to Mali thrice.
He said this shortly after returning from West Africa after his charges were hammered 3-0 by the Eagles in the first leg of the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier. Now the stage is set for the national team gaffer when the two sides clash in the second leg at Lobatse Sports Complex on Saturday (October 13).
While most of Batswana seem to have given up on qualifying for the second AFCON, it seems Tshosane can still see the light down the tunnel. It has since turned out that his fate lies on producing the unexpected by denying Mali a passage to the showpiece, which will be held in South Africa in three months.
In the past week, there were reports that the Botswana Football Association (BFA) committee members are watching the coach closely. On Thursday, Tshosane had not yet released the names of players called for camp ahead of the weekend’s clash. The squad is expected to go into camp today (Sunday).
“He has to produce a miracle by beating Mali and proceed to the tournament. Otherwise he’s almost like a dead man. The NEC has almost decided on his future if he fails to qualify. It is a matter of time,” said a source at Lekidi.
According to reports, the NEC is not happy that after the loss away to Mali, Tshosane has done little to meet with the players who were not part of the team which travelled to Mali.
“A lot of things are not in place with the Zebras and it’s worrying. We expected the coach to have met with players like Dirang (Moloi), Talk Talk (Tshepo Motlhabankwe) and others to show them the importance of representing the nation. Right now everyone is talking about Dirang’s performance (in the league) but the point is: does that the coach have plans for him,” added the source.
When contacted for comment, BFA Vice President Technical, Ernest Nthobelang, denied the allegations saying that they are fully behind the gaffer.
Tickets for the game have already started selling and are available at Lekidi Football Centre in Gaborone. They are selling for P100 in the grand stands and at P50 elsewhere.
The BFA will launch the new Umbro kit at their headquarters on Wednesday.
