Rowe gets the boot

TSHEPO MOLWANE
Staff Writer | Tuesday June 3, 2008 00:00

 

Though the Botswana Football Association (BFA) would not confirm at the time of going to press, high placed sources confirmed to Mmegi Sport that the Briton has been shown the door.

The final straw was the goalless draw against Madagascar in the 2010 World Cup/African Nations Cup qualifier at the National Stadium on Saturday, in a game that the Zebras could have easily won. Before they came to Gaborone, Madagascar had not played football for four months following a FIFA suspension. They met as a team five days before their spirited performance against the Zebras.

After the weekend result, the BFA National Executive Committee (NEC) bowed to demands from soccer fans to sack the coach. The BFA has lately been defending Rowe despite clear signs that the team is struggling. Though he was not present at the game, BFA president Phillip Makgalemele is said to have been inundated with calls since arriving from the FIFA Congress on Sunday.

Rowe was earning close to P62,000 a month and lived in an up-market house in Phakalane suburb, north of Gaborone, something which made people demand that the coach perform to their expectations. He was also given a Ford bakkie, which he has been using 24 hours, with the BFA taking care of fuel expenses. The issue of Rowe's salary also became a heated debate in Parliament early this year after Mahalapye East Member of Parliament (MP) Botlogile Tshireletso, tabled a motion asking the then Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Moeng Pheto to come clear on the coach's package.

Though there have been calls to sack the stocky tactician, the BFA are said to have been reluctant because they owed the Englishman over P200,000 in bonuses. 

In their agreement, BFA were supposed to give Rowe a three-months notice if they were to part ways. But NEC has anonymously agreed that they should buy him out of the contract. 'The issue of money should not be a concern because at least we had budgeted for his salary for the next three months,' the source said.

Since arriving in the country in 2006, Rowe has not won the hearts of the hard-to-please Zebras' supporters. They accused him of the declining performance of the team, and called for the reinstatement of former Yugoslav Veselin Jelusic. 'We have to settle for Vasco (Jelusic) assisted by Stan (Tshosane). There were other options but I think the pair can take us through the qualifiers because hiring another coach at this stage will be expensive,' said the source. Mmegi Sport learnt yesterday that NEC met thrice last week with the issue of the coach high on the agenda.

By yesterday, another source told Mmegi Sport that the players' fitness was exposed in their last three international outings. 'Why do you think that some of the players liked him? It is because unlike Vasco (Jelusic), Rowe is not a firm believer in physical work,' said a source. The other thing, which is said to have worked against Rowe, is his continued selection of the same players for the national team camps. 'Even when some of the players were off-form, they were selected ahead of those who have been brilliant this season. The likes of Abednico Powell, Oteng Moalosi and TRX (Otlaadisa Mohambi) deserve a place in the team but they are never considered,' said the source. 

The BFA has called a press conference this morning. Its is expected that the sacking of Rowe will be announced at the press briefing.