The Botswana Football Association (BFA)’s search for a Technical Director (TD) is set to continue after none of the three shortlisted candidates met the required qualifications to warrant an appointment. The association is set to re-advertise the post to attract candidates who measure up to their targets.
Since Sonnyboy Sethibe’s exit in May, the post has been filled by Philemon Makhwengwe on an interim basis. Makhwengwe is set to continue in the position as the BFA continues seeking Sethibe’s permanent successor. Makhwengwe is also an Education Officer Technical for the BFA. He has been applauded for performing dual roles for the past five months but he will not be offered the position on a permanent basis as previously reported.
Gazette Sport understands that only three individuals had submitted their CV’s, the BFA had expected more submissions but the final list of candidates was below the association’s expectations.
This publication is reliably informed that Malawi’s interim coach, Tom Saintfiet, applied for the job, but his qualifications did not measure up to the BFA’s targets. Saintfiet was on a two month contract as the coach of the Malawian national team which ended this past weekend; he has also coached Zimbabwe and Ethiopia in recent years.
The 40 -year -old Belgian is a UEFA Pro License holder who has worked as a technical director at Dutch First Division side FC Emmen. He also performed the same role at the Nigerian Football Association last year before being fired by the country’s Minister of Sport three months later. Despite his experience in coaching across Europe and Africa, the Belgian candidate’s credentials were unsatisfactory to the Sebego led association.
Saintfiet and two unnamed local candidates were vying for the position. A source revealed that one of the two locals is a former technical director who worked with the BFA in the past.
Keith Masters, the BFA Chief Executive Officer, told this reporter that they hope to officially announce an appointment by the end of October. “We are hopeful of finding someone before the end of next month. However, we cannot guarantee anything yet but we have begun another search for a new technical director. The job will be advertised in the next few weeks to allow more people to come forth with their CV’s,” said the BFA CEO.