- Botswana coach turns to youth development following AFCON assessment as the national team prepares for a regional Four Nations tournament
TLOTLO KEBINAKGABO
The head coach of the Botswana men’s senior national football team (Zebras), Morena Ramoreboli, says the preliminary squad for the upcoming Four Nations Tournament has been deliberately built around younger players following a review of the team’s performance at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Botswana exited the continental competition without winning a match, a result that prompted reflection within the national team setup.
Ramoreboli confirmed that the decision to introduce a youthful group came after discussions with the leadership of the Botswana Football Association.
“Yes it true, it’s a young squad,” he told this publication in a telephone interview. “I had a meeting with the Botswana Football Association president, the meeting was motivated by the AFCON report, it is there where we saw the need to inherit a lot of young players for the upcoming tournament.”
According to the coach, one of the issues identified was the limited integration of younger players into the senior national team.
He said the technical team believes giving emerging players opportunities earlier could strengthen the team’s long-term development.
Regional Test
The Four Nations Tournament will take place from March 28 to March 31 at Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown.
Botswana is scheduled to face regional opponents including the Zimbabwe national football team, the Zambia national football team and the Malawi national football team.
The competition is expected to provide an early test for the newly assembled squad and an opportunity for emerging players to gain international experience.
Olympic Plans
Ramoreboli also linked the youthful squad selection to the upcoming Olympic qualifiers, which feature players under the age of 23.
He said the coaching staff is attempting to identify the core group that could form the foundation of the team moving forward while also bringing more players through the development pathway.
Despite the Zebras’ struggles in recent matches, the coach said the focus remains on building a team capable of delivering results over a longer period.
“Before speaking of results we should also say we need to have a team that will give us results over a longer period of time,” he said. “We should be preparing them now. You don’t win because a team of 11 players but because those players are able to withhold pressure, that’s what we are trying to do, gel them together.”