Popa snubs Zebras call

Township Rollers football Club is accused of putting its own interests ahead of the nation's, refusing to release its players for national team duty. The allegations suggest that Rollers refused to release players for the upcoming friendly match against Zimbabwe on the 30th of September 2023 at the National Stadium, citing a conflicting tournament.The Zebras has been struggling to achieve success on the international stage, and allegations have emerged that local clubs are contributing to this problem. It's been alleged that these clubs often refuse to release their players for national team duty.A source close to the situation said that this isn't the first time a club has failed to release its players for national team duty. In fact, it's becoming a concerning trend, with multiple clubs refusing to cooperate in the past.According to the source, these incidents often go unreported to the Botswana Football Association (BFA), which makes it difficult to address the issue and find a solution. "The national team has issued a list of players to be released for the upcoming friendly match, and most teams have complied. However, Township Rollers has refused to release its requested players, stating that they have a tournament in Maun on the same day,” the source said."It's incredibly disappointing to see Township Rollers, a large and well-known club, refuse to release its players for national team duty. The players themselves are the ones who suffer, as they are unable to participate in the national team despite their desire to do so. It's clear that the players are not being given a voice in this matter, and that's not right,” the same source revealed.The source pointed out that even though the upcoming friendly match may not be a major tournament, it doesn't give the club the right to refuse to release its players. The national team's technical staff may be evaluating these same players for bigger tournaments down the line. When reached for comment, the national team's coach, Mogomotsi Mpote, explained that he had made his requests to the clubs for player availability, but not all players were confirmed and they never reported to camp. He stressed that he intends to get to the bottom of the matter afterwards."My primary focus right now is on the players who have responded to the call, and ensure that we get the best possible result on Saturday. The other issues will be addressed at a later date, but for now, my focus is on the task at hand. I'm confident that we can get a positive result if we work together as a team and focus on our strengths," Mpote highlighted.For their part, Township Rollers spokesperson, Pako Lebanna highlighted that The Zebras game at the weekend falls outside the FIFA Calendar week for international matches, and as such clubs are not obliged to release players.“Nine players had been requested from Township Rollers for the national team camp, but the club had already committed to a tournament over the Independence weekend. We communicated in writing to the association, explaining the circumstances,” Lebanna said. “But Township Rollers as a patriotic national institution, and disciplined member of the association, released three players for the national team camp, being Kabelo Maphakela, Onkarabile Ratanang and Thabo Nico Babutsi,” he added. He stated that Township Rollers has always availed players for national duty and shall continue offering support to the Zebras.

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Popa snubs Zebras call