Six AWOL as Nare battles to keep Notwane afloat
Kabelo Boranabi | Wednesday October 8, 2025 06:31
Now in his first full season with the Toronto Boys, Nare has had to juggle footballing ambition with harsh economic realities.
The club, still grappling with a shallow purse, has had to dig into the lower leagues for fresh talent, a move that has brought both frustration and flashes of promise.
Despite the chaos, Notwane are enjoying a modest start to the season. Their 2–0 win over Tlokweng United at the GU Stadium on Friday evening courtesy of a Kaboyaone Mosope brace, lifted them to fourth on the table, with seven points from their opening four games.
Mosope himself epitomises Nare’s resourcefulness, having had been recruited from a social football side.
But beneath the surface of that early progress lies a troubling reality. Six key players have gone AWOL after the Independence Day break, reportedly due to unpaid dues, leaving Nare scrambling to rebuild his squad yet again.
'Ordinary people do not understand the magnitude of the job we are holding. This team is missing six players who have not returned from the Independence Day break. Why? Because they have not been paid by the club and seems like they were playing social football.
'So, next week we will be having another team but I have to prepare. There is no excuse of players having suspensions or injuries I have to prepare the team,” said Nare.
With several players juggling football alongside school and work, training sessions often resemble patchwork operations rather than structured preparation.
Nare admits the situation has forced him to field makeshift lineups and rely heavily on untested recruits.
The outspoken coach has not minced his words about the dire state of the league, lamenting the absence of sponsorship, grants, and basic support structures such as referee fees and player trainers.
For him, the stagnation of Botswana’s football development mirrors the struggles of its clubs.
'I still feel I need depth in the number nine role. But otherwise the rest of the positions we could manage. All players need is a structure, they need to apply themselves within the structure,” said Nare.
'My teaching as a coach is however difficult especially in a league where there is no sponsor, no grants, no referee fees and with no trainers (for the players), so it is difficult. Our football is still in the same place I left when I was a player, the state of the league is poor and it is sad for Botswana football.”