- Amrouche and a new set of national team staff to be presented
- Amrouche could have joined Zebras 11 years ago
BONGANI MALUNGA
The Botswana Football Association is set to officially unveil Belgian tactician Adel Amrouche as the new head coach of the senior national football team today (Tuesday). Amrouche has signed a three year deal with the association as they usher in a new era for the national team.
The appointment of Amrouche is the realisation of a long term pursuit by the BFA, they first pursued him 11 years ago when he was still in charge of the Burundi national team but the deal did not materialize despite mutual interest from both parties. Discussions were held when the BFA was still undecided about giving Stanley Tshosane the permanent coaching position following the dismissal of Colwyn Rowe.
This month, the BFA finally got their man as they convinced him with their “attractive” project. Amrouche has a wealth of experience in Africa having coached Libya, Burundi, Equatorial Guinea and Kenya at national team level.
The 51 year old coach could be credited with the improvement of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Victor Wanyama, he handed the player the captaincy of the Kenyan national team when he was only 22 years old. At the time, Wanyama was still playing for Scottish based team Celtic. The responsibility of being the leader at a young age catapulted the player to more national fame and he went on to join English Premier League club Southampton before moving to Spurs. The coach’s trust in young players could help him settle well into his role as the overseer of the largely young Zebras squad.
He has also coached at club level in Africa, his most notable appointment was in the Democratic Republic of Congo club DC Motema Pembe where he won the league and competed in the CAF Champions League.
Amrouche will be assisted by Mogomotsi “Teenage” Mpote, the latter will also be in charge of the national under 23 team. Mpote has been installed to bridge the gap between the players and the new coach, his role will also add an element of continuity within the national team set up.
With Mpote all but certain to be confirmed as the under 23 coach, the BFA will also unveil the new under 20 and under 17 coaches who are expected to be local coaches. Amrouche’s first official order of business will be the Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifiers first round first leg game against Malawi on September 7 at the Francistown Sports Complex.