Liverpool legend backs Butler�s strategy
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday November 24, 2015 14:30
Fowler, who was in Botswana over the weekend as part of the Barclays Bank Africa tour, said the strategy would benefit the country in the long term.
He said Butler was an experienced coach and introducing youngsters in the national team was a good idea.
He said development was important in sport and people should not expect immediate results. He said it was always advisable to start working on the players when they were young saying that would give them a chance to grow within structures.
“Africa has talented players plying their trade in top leagues in the world such as the Barclays Premier League,” he told Mmegi Sport.
“There should be a guided plan as to how such players can motivate and encourage upcoming players to follow suit.”
Fowler said it was difficult for African teams to progress in World Cup competitions because they come up against the best. He however said that did not mean Africa does not have the best players.
He noted that England has the same challenge despite having quality players. He said it was clear that the Barclays Premier League had massive following in Botswana, as was the case with the rest of the world. During his three-day stay, Fowler visited four families that won a competition organised by Barclays Bank.
One of the winners, Metlhayotlhe Selwe said he won the chance to host the former England striker after opening a bank account.
The excited Selwe said after three weeks the bank informed him about his opportunity. The winner received a DSTV explorer decoder with whole subscription and EPL merchandise for him and three of his friends.
Fowler watched the weekend’s Barclays Premier League headline match featuring Liverpool and Manchester City with select fans and journalists at Masa Centre on Saturday night. Fowler’s former team triumphed 4-1. On Sunday, he held a coaching clinic at the Airport Junction.