TAFIC assembles strong squad

Despite a few challenges, legendary Francistown outfit, TAFIC FC are ready to participate in the 2015/16 Debswana National First Division League.

The team does not want to be mere participants but main challengers in the league if they are to gain automatic promotion to the highly coveted beMOBILE Premiership. This is according to the team’s public relations officer (PRO), Warrant Kololo. TAFIC have been playing in the First Division League for the past two seasons. “We have assembled a very formidable side and we have got no doubt in our mind that the team, led by Blessing Moyo (Head Coach), Elias Chinyemba (Assistant Coach) and Wrist Mmusi (Goalkeepers Coach), have what it takes to reinstate TAFIC as contenders,” revealed Kololo.

The team has recruited at least 15 new players including Mmilidzi Zekho Makafiri from city rivals, ECCO City Greens, Stewrad Matlala, a South African who played for Security Systems and Simbarashe Sithole, former Ajax Cape Town striker. TAFIC will be playing without veteran Phuthego Modipe who is retiring at the age of 40 and Ogomoditse Baleni. Baleni has joined Sankoyo Bush Bucks. “So far so good except that we are still awaiting the awarding of work permits to our two foreign players. They both have their international transfer clearances. Our hope is that, they will be ready to play at the onset of the the league games,” said Kololo.

He revealed that, one of their sources of anxiety at the moment is a tussle with ECCO over a defender TAFIC wants to recruit. “We have had to take the matter to the Status Committee and are awaiting its resolution,” he explained. The postponement of the league kickoff has hit the team hard as gate takings are an important source of income for the team. “For us, things are very difficult even at the best of times. Several of our players are relying on the team for sustanace. Without the gate takings, matters get worse,” lamented Kololo.

Kololo admitted that  part of the team’s poor performance in the past has been indiscipline. “There have been incidences of indiscipline and we do not take that lightly. We note that in the main, we are dealing with children and we try as much as possible to give parental guidance. When it comes to a push however, we act decisively by either withholding part of the concerned player’s allowance at the end of the month as a show of disapproval on our part.

In extreme cases, we suspend or permanently release the player because we take our image seriously,” said the PRO who is a secondary school teacher, adding that some of the common acts of indiscipline is absenteeism from training or games without leave or inciting the other players against management.