Orange gives Zebras cash boost

TSHEPO MOLWANE
Staff Writer | Wednesday June 18, 2008 00:00

 

In addition, the company gave the players Samsung cellphones to motivate the team ahead of their important return fixture against Ivory Coast in Abidjan on Sunday.

The Zebras travel to West Africa sitting at the summit of Group Seven of the 2010 World Cup/African Nations Cup qualifiers, with five points. The Zebras are ahead of second-placed Ivorians on goal difference. After a slow start to the campaign drawing 0-0 with Madagascar at home, the Zebras bounced back when they beat Mozambique 2-1 away before settling for a 1-1 draw with Ivory Coast at the National Stadium last weekend before a capacity crowd.

The draw against the Ivorians won the Zebras accolades from different quarters with Kaizer Chiefs' managing director, Kaizer Motaung mentioning that he was impressed by the performance. He said the Zebras were unlucky to draw the game.

In a short session at the Falcon Crest in Gaborone yesterday, Orange communications manager, Karabo Tlhabiwe said that after the Zebras made the nation proud at the weekend, they saw it fit to present the team with incentives to boost their morale ahead of their trip to West Africa. 'Last weekend was testimony that the Zebras have potential and gone are the days when we used to be a walkover. It was a true reflection of good things to come,' he said.

Tlhabiwe told the gathering that at Orange, they keep tabs on the performance of the team. He said the presentation was nothing new as it is part of their contractual obligation to the national team and the incentives cover the months of April, May and June. 'We want you to do your best when you get to Abidjan and I believe that we can shock them (Ivory Coast) in their own backyard,' Tlhabiwe said.

When receiving the cheque, Botswana Football Association (BFA) president Phillip Makgalemele said that when they made changes in the technical team a fortnight ago, some members of the media wondered if the decision was the right one. He said that the performance of the team now is showing that the decision was a move in the right direction. 'We do have a quality team and I believe that qualifying for AFCON is within reach and we will go all out to ensure that we go to Angola,' he said.

Makgalemele told the briefing that his counterpart from Ivory Coast has ensured him that they will give the Zebras the same hospitality, which was extended to them when they were in Gaborone. In the past, there have been reports that the Botswana teams are ill-treated when they play away from home.