Young Zebras were ill-prepared
The odds were always stuck against the National Under 20 team to progress to the latter stages of the ongoing COSAFA Under 20 Championship in Lesotho although there had been a somewhat blind glimmer of hope ahead of the regional youth tournament.
The truth that remains hard to share is that above all else, the team was ill-prepared for the tournament. On the eve of their departure to Lesotho two weeks ago, this publication shared media reports from the region showing how their counterparts had long started preparations for the championship at the time there was little talk about the games in Botswana. At the time the team was finally called to camp, it was a little too late, compounded even further by the academic calling for most of the boys who had to sit for their secondary school examinations, thereby forcing a delay to the start of their training sessions.
Like some in the management at the Botswana Football Association (BFA) felt, coach Innocent Morapedi had deemed the school examinations period a detrimental force to their preparations. In an interview ahead of the tournament, Morapedi lamented the said period as unfortunate. Yet, with foresighted leadership, this should have been anticipated and easily planned for. By mid-October – as quoted in detail by this publication two weeks ago – media reports from Zimbabwe and Swaziland told of their countries’ Under 20 teams that were already playing practice matches, aware that they were paired with ‘a tough’ Botswana team for their group matches. The Botswana team only assembled for camp on the dawn of November.
Once in Lesotho, the local lads posted a misleading 2-0 victory over Swaziland in the opening match of the tournament. Truth be told, the Young Zebras were not convincing, with Swaziland looking the more coordinated and organised side only let down by isolated but telling defensive blunders and failure to convert their chances. The true picture of the Young Zebras’ readiness showed in their second game against Zimbabwe. With the resultant 0-3 loss, the northern neighbours just walked all over the locals whose play was laced with suspicions of fatigue and an apparent sense of dejection and hopelessness.
And then the insurmountable was placed on their shoulders to carve their way into the semi-finals. They had to beat Angola with a margin of more than three goals to proceed but only managed a 2-all draw. As the side arrived back from the games this Wednesday, it was interesting to note that the BFA was now committing to keep the side together. The Acting Technical Director Philimon Makhwengwe revealed their plans to have the team continue training together in readiness for the 2016 Olympic games in Brazil. It is as much a welcome move as it is markedly belated. Such should have been the spirit from long ago – keeping the youth teams active and being called for regular camps.
After their sterling performance at the CAF Under 17 Championships in Morocco earlier this year, this publication’s edition of April 19, 2013 advised that the team be kept active together in readiness for games that would come later such as the ongoing tournament in Lesotho. Under the headline “BFA should nurture Diamond Zebras,” the football body was advised against letting the team’s chemistry die by letting them go without any plan of bonding them more for posterity. This never happened, as has happened with other good-performing junior teams before.
If, like last year, the COSAFA Under 20 tournament was not staged this year, the players from the team would still be left at their own devices. It is a trend that is entrenched in the BFA history. Prior to the announcement that the tournament would return for this year, the Under 20 side had been idle, with no activity taking place around the team since 2011 when it won Bronze at the Gaborone version of the tournament. It is thus heartening to hear that this time a deliberate plan is being made to groom the youth side further for the Olympic games. The bulk of the players they faced during the CAF Under 17 games are the same they will play against as Under 23 and senior team players in the future. It happened with the likes of Diphetogo Selolwane and Mogogi Gabonamong who at the Under 17 championships of 1997, played against the likes of Mali’s celebrated star Seydou Keita, a player who went on to play for European sides Sevilla, Marseille and eventually for world beaters Barcelona.
Makhwengwe said this Wednesday that they were encouraged in their plans by the fact that most of the players are based in the southern part of the country, and that most of them are registered with premier league teams. Like Morapedi said on Wednesday as well, the Lesotho expedition can be credited for the experience the young lads attained, just as long as the BFA keep their word that the team will be systematically prepared from now, for the more senior assignment awaiting them in the months or years to come.
