11 November 2009
editorial
The Botswana Football Association (BFA) has at long last confirmed Stan Tshosane as Zebras coach. We want to welcome him to the position he has been holding on a caretaker basis and wish him well.
It is not an easy job coaching a football side, let alone a national team. No doubt Tshosane will feel the pressure because over the past few years, the Zebras have registered some remarkable improvements in the field of play, particularly during the time of Jelusic Veselin. Veselin transformed the Zebras from the whipping boys of Africa to an improved side that held its own against major footballing nations and we even claimed some big scalps in the process.
Although the results under previous coaches Colwyn Rowe and even Tshosane himself have been a mixed bag, Batswana want to see the team improve. Tshosane is aware of this. He applied to be the national team coach because he wants the country to succeed and he believes he can make this possible. We want him to succeed too. We want to appeal to him to be impartial in calling players to the national team. Often this has been the Achilles' Heel of many a coach who are beholden to certain players and club officials. Tshosane can only succeed if he tours the country to see the players on offer. He should not even neglect players in the lower divisions where there are rough diamonds waiting to be discovered.
The Botswana Defence Force has over the years trained its coaches at some of the best institutions around the world and Tshosane has been a beneficiary of this. He should utilise the skills that he picked from the training and experience.Football is fast developing and we cannot emphasise the importance of keeping abreast with the latest happenings in the game. As the national team coach, he needs to facilitate a professional rapport between him and the local coaches so that there is understanding between them. This will make him avoid trouble such as club versus country clash. We want to appeal to all football lovers to give the coach a chance and not to jump to conclusions even before he has put his vision in place. It takes a while for a team to gel, find rhythm, build confidence and develop a winning mentality.
Unfortunately, football is one sport where everyone thinks they can coach. Football fans are always ready to bay for the coach's blood if good results take long to come. But every team goes through a rough patch and the fans must be patient. Rre Tshosane is a Motswana, loves the team as all of us do. Let us give him a chance.
Today's Thought
A man who is a master of patience is master of everything else.
- George Savile
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