Keatlholetswe to take over at BDF XI?

CHIPPA LEGODIMO
Correspondent | Thursday March 25, 2010 00:00

 

Although the team's spokesperson, Phillimon Mompati denied the reports, impeccable sources said the former Botswana Football Association (BFA) technical director will be announced as the new coach.

Mompati claimed that he was not aware of Keatlholetswe's interest in the post which fell vacant following the dismissal of Mwaanga on Monday.

'All I can say is that we are still looking for a coach, we have not talked to Six and I have not received any application from him either. If  the team was talking to him about a possible return, I would have been the first to know,' Mompati said.

Keatlholetswe's contract as BFA technical director was not renewed when it expired though he had shown interest in staying at Lekidi.

Mompati told Mmegi Sport that more applications were arriving at the Sir Seretse Khama Barracks for the coaching post. He said they hope to recruit a new coach soon. Meanwhile, Mwaanga's stay at the club always hung by the thread after his team was held to a 0-0 draw by a 10-man BMC last week. Therefore, the announcement by Matebele on Monday that they had severed ties with the coach was not entirely unexpected. Clearly the draw against BMC was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Mwaanga persisted with an ultra-defensive formation after BMC were reduced to 10 men and the match ended 0-0.

Mompati said the coach was fired because he failed to produce good results.

'After we were knocked out of the Coca-Cola Cup by ECCO City Greens, the executive committee sat down to try to find out if there is something we were not doing right and we realised that there is nothing wrong on our side.

We then called the technical committee and wrote a letter to the head coach that he was being given three games to improve results. He lost the first game against Township Rollers and drew with BMC by which time it was clear that he would not reach the targets we had set and there was no need to continue with him,' Mompati explained.

He denied that Mwaanga's fate was sealed sometime back. He said they had already started receiving applications for the coaching post. He said one application arrived on Monday from Lesotho.

'It is only now that we have started looking for someone who can take the team forward. We could not start searching for a coach while at the same time we had given him (Mwaanga) three games to shape up,' he said.

Mompati added that the Zambian coach did a good job in his first year with the team after joining from Prisons XI at the end of 2007-2008 season. He came just after the former champions avoided relegation through play-offs under current Zebras' coach Stanley Tshosane.

'He did well considering that the team had just returned from the play-offs and he was able to fight for position four after taking over. What we had expected is that he would be able to improve on that performance,' Mompati said. Perhaps Mwaanga's problems were compounded by the release of experienced campaigners Masego Ntshingane, Ernest Amos, Nelson 'Viola' Gabolwelwe and Tumo Selogamaano.

Mwaanga refused to speak on his sacking referring all enquiries to BDF XI spokesman.  Assistant coach, Louis Setshwane will take charge until a permanent replacement is found. Mompati told Mmegi Sport they are not worried that changing a coach at this stage of the league campaign could compound the team's problems. 'We have a good chance of finishing way above the relegation zone and it will be good to bring in a new coach before the end of the season so that he could make his assessment and tell us what would be needed for the new season,' he explained.

Going back? Six Keatlholetswe is reported to be rejoining BDF.