We are proud of this team

FIRST CUT
TSHIMOLOGO BOITUMELO | Friday August 10, 2007 00:00

Everybody loves a winner. Winning a cup in a tournament that had the likes of South Korea and Japan besides the hosts says a lot about the progress made by the Under-23 team. We are proud of this achievement and we wish we could see more success coming our way. Kudos to the coaching team led by David Bright.

In the euphoria that has greeted the win, one hopes the people behind the success, will not be forgotten. There is always a tendency to forget those that drives success and heap praises on players only. Keep it up Bright and your technical team.

 
We are proud of you. We were recently excited when the same team took on African giants like South Africa, Cameroon and Ghana pound for pound in a special tournament in South Africa. Reaching the final and losing to Cameroon, the team they beat in the group stage, was a very big achievement.

It says a lot about the tactical acumen and maturity of Bright and his technical crew. It appears more is still to come from this man. It is certainly everybody's wish that Bright and his boys are given support including the necessary resources. Without the resources, the Young Zebras will not gallop far. Which brings me to the question of sponsorship. Mascom donated some funds to help the team travel to China.

 
There is no doubt that the gesture was partly influenced by the incredible potential shown by the team. It would be good if Mascom takes the team over and nurtures it to success. The company has already sponsored the team to success and it will be sad if anybody comes in at a later stage to take the glory. And this is what happened with the senior national team.

 
The country's largest cellphone company preferred a loose relationship in which it was giving donations as opposed to cementing a full partnership. Out of the blue, came its rival Orange and it is public knowledge that Mascom was left with eggs on its face. Trust me, there is a possibility that Orange, seeing that they cannot forge a partnership with individual clubs can pounce with a sponsorship deal for the Under-23 side.

 
The fact that the team is riding the crest of the wave, and that it is a development one that will be kept together for a long time, presents a genuine opportunity for any company not only to show corporate social responsibility but to exploit considerable mileage.

 
The team is scheduled to meet Cameroon in the 2008 Olympics qualifiers at home on August 22. Based on the team's recent record, there are high hopes that it will beat Cameroon, the 2000 Olympic champions.
First Cut should however warn against exerting too much pressure on the national Under-23 side to do well.

The best we can offer as a football-loving nation, and as a gesture to the team, is to come to the match in big numbers and cheer the boys to the final whistle. The opposition will not come ill-prepared. Our recent exploits have not gone unnoticed. Cameroon will come firing on all cylinders. It will be tough because anyone getting maximum points stands a better chance of acquiring a ticket to Beijing.

 
Having tasted some success, I think our players in the Under-23 squad will seek to top it up with qualification for Olympics. If the boys work hard and stay focused, the desired goal will be achieved. Botswana Football Association (BFA) president Phillip Makgalemele sounded a warning in an interview with a local radio station this week. He appealed to the lads to stay disciplined and work hard. I see logic in Makgalemele's appeal.

It is common practice in sport that players get big-headed when they think they have arrived. Instead, we are hoping the incentives given to the team after successes in South Africa and China, coupled with a desire to attract the attention of high paying clubs abroad will act as an incentive to do better.
It is commendable that the BFA leadership has seen it fit to give the players part of the prize money won in China. Well-done BFA.