- AFCON, World Cup qualification among long term targets
- Bright gives hope to dropped Mogorosi and other senior players
BONGANI MALUNGA
Newly appointed Zebras coach Major David Bright has vowed to take the national team to respectable heights including AFCON and the World Cup in the foreseeable future. Bight was unveiled alongside his assistant coach Sthandwa Mogwadi.
“This is a big task, national duty, I have to take an oath to the BFA President and promise to serve my country well,” said Bright as he playfully pledged his allegiance and commitment to the task at hand.
“I have coached the national team before but it is my first deal as a full time employee. We will do our best to achieve the feats set by coach Stanley Tshosane’s team. AFCON and even the World Cup are realistic targets in the future, its not impossible. Another target is to make sure more of our players perform well and earn international moves, our players need to break into the international market. We will also make sure we work closely with local clubs in the main league and the First Division, we cannot do it alone,” Bright said during his unveiling at the Lekidi Football Center.
Bright revealed his plans to interact with club coaches in numerous workshops in order to exchange ideas and to let them know about his vision for the national team. The former Gaborone United coach also stated that the national team will have a B team which will be their feeder, it is also a way of creating a larger pool of players to select from. He hinted that he will use a younger or second string team in next year’s COSAFA Cup.
The coach also refused to rule out the return of dropped former captain Joel Mogorosi, he stated that the player and many other experienced stars are not going to be ruled out of national team contention. Mogorosi has recently been sidelined at Zebras level despite being the top scorer in competitive games in the last two years.
“This is the first phase of selection. We will not rule out bringing more senior players on board. AFCON and World Cup Qualifiers need experienced players to help the young players blend in. We will mix experience and youth,” the coach added.
Botswana Football Association president Maclean Letshwiti stated that the decision to hire a local coach was a deliberate one because he believes only a local coach can create and preserve the DNA of the team. “We had a deliberate policy to go local. If you look at the success of national teams like Germany and Italy it is due to the guidance of local coaches not foreign coaches. Major Bright knows the local game and the players, he can relate better with them, he is a winner and a tactician of note. Only a Motswana can develop the DNA of the team and relate to our philosophy,” Letshwiti stated.
The BFA leader also revealed the deliverables for the new coach, they include AFCON 2019 qualification, reaching the COSAFA Cup final, reaching the group stages of the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers and doing well in the CHAN competition. Bright’s first game in charge will be against South Africa in a CHAN Qualifier at the Francistown Sports Complex this weekend, he has stated that his squad is ready to embrace the challenge of facing their rivals.