Butler up for the Zebras challenge

Quite simply put, the new Zebras head coach Peter Butler has one of the toughest jobs in African football. Some already say that the English man with a UEFA Pro Licence has no idea of what he has gotten himself into given the track record of the national team in recent years.

The Botswana Football Association (BFA) officially unveiled Butler   as   the headcoach at Lekidi this Wednesday morning. With impressive qualifications and a coaching record that has received mixed reactions, Butler has three years to turn one of the most under-performing national teams in Africa into a force to reckon with. Addressing the media for the first time in Gaborone, Butler exuded confidence and eloquently outlined his vision for local football.

“My main priority is to improve results for the national team, end of the story,” the confident-looking Butler said. During that press briefing, Butler said all the right things the public would have wanted to hear. He explained to a fully-packed Lekidi Centre auditorium that he would give young players a chance to play in the national team. “I aim to improve and maintain national team programs and   spend a lot of time with development teams like the Under 20 and Under 23,” he said, adding that his interest was also in improving grassroots programs and improve lower level coaching environments.

“I am the type of person who says he is going to do something and does it. I am not going to let you down,” a stern Butler vowed. The 47-year old who is described as a disciplinarian and has had coaching stints in Malaysia as well as Indonesia promised that 2014 would be a development year for the BFA. “I am not here for the money, I am here for the challenge,” he said, adding that he could be in Asia earning more money if it was not for the love of just coming to help Botswana grow. Another area where the coach aims to improve is in the standards of coaching at development level where he aims to hold regular coaching workshops with coaches from lower divisions.

The British national gave the press a glimpse of his philosophy on the pitch. “I want to win every   game I play. I do not believe in parking the bus. I play attacking football. You have to be creative and players have to play with imagination,” Butler argued, giving the sense that those drastic changes are about to befall the national team judging from how his predecessor approached the game. He rubbished previous media reports that suggested that he was a nomadic coach, arguing that he rather signed short term contracts wherever he went. He also cast aspersions on his Wikipedia page from where many were reading about him, saying the information contained in there was also not accurate.

Speaking at the same press conference, BFA president Tebogo Sebego said hiring Butler was one of the highlights of his career. A delighted Sebego briefly showered praises on former national team coach Stanley Tshosane, saying he deserved some respect for the part he played in the development of the local game. Dispelling insinuations that the former Technical Director was fired, Sebego further told the media that Sonnyboy Sethibe left the association because his contract had come to an end, but then added that the BFA needed a functional technical department that would oversee the development of all components such as training referees, coaches, medical staff as well as setting up proper development and educational structures. Coordinating these departments, Sebego said, needed a strategic person like the newly unveiled Technical Director Benny Kgomela.

“When employing, you should have somebody tailor-made to your needs,” Sebego said, adding that Kgomela was in their minds the right man for the job. Regarding Butler, Sebego said they needed someone with a UEFA Pro License and a background in development. “We were looking for someone who has a background in physical education and sports science, as well as someone with managerial and interpersonal skills,” Sebego said. He revealed that a total of 19 people had applied for the post, a number which was screened down to eight and eventually to four candidates before Butler was hired. Some of Butler’s deliverables include making it into the quarterfinals of the next COSAFA Cup, qualifying for 2016 CHAN and the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.