The Voice (Francistown)
Monnakgotla Mojaki
25 March 2008
Francistown — The two national teams, the Under-23 and the senior team are currently all in camp and are faced with two mammoth tasks of sharing players. Once more, the two best players for the national Under-23, Jerome Ramatlahakwane and Dirang Moloi, are caught in between the two national teams.
Senior coach Colywn Rowe and Under-23 mentor, Kenneth Mogae, had to meet and take final decisions on the two players to avoid the normal fight for the two. Last year, the former Under-23 coach David Bright had a go at the senior team for not willing to prioritise and give him some of the best players in the country at under-23 level. He later got them and they put in a five star performance in the Morocco game with Ramatlhakwane scoring one of the two goals as the young Zebras defied odds again and walloped their much-fancied opponents.
Mogae, the Under-23's newly appointed mentor, is faced with one of the most difficult tasks of emulating his predecessor, Bright, who was a darling of the fans. Mogae was this week at ease when asked whether he was under pressure to perform. He maintained that he has always been with the Under 23s since way back to its time with the late Samuel Sono and, of course, the late Banks Panene. He deputized all these men.
"We have been in camp now for the past three weeks and all has gone well. Keaketswe Mara Moloi has a minor knock and the medical team will give us a report before we make the final decision on whether to take him to Cameroon. The only player who will join the team late is South African-based Kaone Molefhe. We will put our hope on the fact that we had our own match practice sessions and hopefully things will go our way," Mogae told voice sport
BFA Technical Director, Lesika Keatlholetswe, explained that the team would not have time to acclimatize in Cameroon because of the problems that persist with flights to and from Cameroon.
With Moloi, the only natural striker in the team, injured Mogae admitted that he might have to keep another striker on standby. This revives the Ramatlhakwane- Moloi issue. They will be an important part of the Under-23 Olympics qualifying campaign. But the senior Zebras need them during the same period for match practice against both Zimbabwe and Brazil.
Senior team coach Rowe is troubled. He fears he may not have another serious match practice before the World Cup and AFCON Qualifiers kick get under way on May 31.
"I have to disagree with the perception that Jerome and Dirang are more important for the under-23s. The problem is, as much as we would like to share players, we need to have match practice and this may be the last one we have on a FIFA sanctioned date. The Cameroon game is not that crucial although it is important," Rowe explained why he is holding fast to the two players.
Another headache for Rowe is that he still doesn't have an assistant after the departure of Isaiah Mogwadi. The Briton refers all questions on the matter to the Technical Director, Keatlholetswe, who also has no answers as of now.
Keatlholetswe told Voice Sport that he expected the new assistant to have started work by Monday but they are not yet done with the negotiations. But he is keeping mum on who the possible replacement is.
But sources revealed to Voice Sports that BFA is talking to none other than former Zebras gaffer, Stanley Tshosane.
The good news, however, is that Rowe now has a talented goalkeeper coach in former Zebras and Township Rollers goalie, Thabo Motang. He takes over from Sheleng Mogorosi who will now be entirely with the Under-23 as a goalkeeper trainer and assistant to Mogae.
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