Mpote considered for full time Zebras Coach
Botswana Football Association (BFA) are reportedly prepared to offer the current senior men national team interim boss, Mogomotsi Mpote a two (2) year contract, BG Sport has reliably been informed.
The developments come at a time during which the association is currently working on restructuring their technical departments.
Pontsho Moloi is set to be unveiled as the Under 23 head coach, taking over from Mpote who is now set to land the senior men coaching post on a full time basis.
The BFA will further be encouraged by the fact that Mpote was part of the group that did the CAF A license course, which the participants are set to be accredited their certificates in due course. CAF have reportedly given the BFA the onus to train coaches for CAF A and B licenses.
With Botswana and Namibia (BONA) working hard to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the local football governing office leadership are looking to prepare a team that will not only participate but challenge for the continent’s most coveted football title.
“The technical development committee is doing some restructuring for all our national teams. We are also blessed in a way, because with the advent of us (BONA) bidding for the AFCON 2027, the government wants to support and help us have all national team coaches hired on full time basis,” Mfolo revealed earlier this week.
The CEO was responding to a question from this publication relating to the long term plans for the senior women national team coach, Gaoletlhoo Nkutlwisang and also shared that plans are underway to appoint her full time.
Their proposal was not successful, the then Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Tshekedi Khama strongly backed the idea of hiring a local coach but the association went on to appoint Adel Amrouche.
The BFA Technical Director, Tshepo Mphukuthi previously told this publication that local coaches who have shown interest to lead the Zebras will be given a fair chance to assume the role.
The BFA officials are expected to hold talks with Orapa United regarding the services of their coach who is left with a year on his contract, ahead of the upcoming season. Mpote has hardly had pre-season time for his club, as he has been on national duty for the past three months.
The former Township Rollers coach has always been open about his desire to lead the national team and strongly believes that with the current crop of players, qualifying for the AFCON finals is a realistic objective. The BFA hierarchy under the stewardship of Maclean Letshwiti has previously engaged the government to assume the responsibility to pay the senior national team coach.
Mogomotsi Mpote is a familiar name within football circles. His contributions to local football development and success are very much well documented. Having won the league title with Township Rollers, the experienced gaffer, whose coaching training entails learnings at Villa Park (Aston Villa Stadium), has also led the Zebras to the finals of COSAFA cup tournament in 2019.
Stanley Tshosane became the first coach to qualify the team to the AFCON finals in 2012, and international coaches, Peter James Butler and Adel Amrouche have failed to deliver the same success.
Recent success of Senegal, who are managed by a local coach, Aliou Cisse, have once again amplified calls for African nations to put trust in their local coaches.