In just over a month, the Zebras will face Senegal in their opening group stage match at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco. On Saturday, Senegal will face former world champions, Brazil and then Kenya next week Tuesday as they fine-tune their preparations.
The Lions of Teranga are serious about their intentions, which is why they have not let this FIFA international week pass. They want to utilise every single minute afforded to the national side to prepare their team for the AFCON finals.
But the Zebras, which need the friendly preparations more than the Lions of Teranga, will be chilling at home; feet up watching television.
It’s frightening to see the bright student at the study room while the other is lazing around.
The preparations will not by any measure, close the gap between Senegal and Botswana but they will at least show the nation that there is something noteworthy the Botswana Football Association (BFA) is doing.
But alas, the programme for the team has not been shared with just a month to the continental tournament. By now the nation should have been informed about the team's preparations, there is nothing to hide.
It's all out there how other national teams are busy preparing for the tournament.
While Senegal is sending a strong statement with preparing against top notch opposition, Botswana could not even organise a friendly match with its usual sparring partners in Lesotho or Eswatini.
These two countries have readily availed themselves to help the Zebras prepare and it was the least the BFA could do.
The explanation that the opportunity to play a friendly match was passed up to give the league more space defies logic, particularly if there are no immediate games lined up for the Zebras.
Coach Morena Ramoreboli should be given sufficient support such that there are no excuses if results are not forthcoming, and who can blame him?
The team cannot sleep walk into a tournament of this magnitude, unless if the aim is put everything in the hands of the supernatural. Success is not an accident which it just smashes you in the face out of the blue; it is a result of deliberated, concerted and coordinated effort.
The Zebras should not be left to ride on some luck to beat the likes of Benin, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It should be a result of meticulous planning, which unfortunately, at the moment is in short supply.
The BFA national executive committee met over the weekend and hopefully, the Zebras preparations were high on the agenda and a programme of action will soon be shared with the nation.
The other issue that needs to be addressed which has always been the association's sore thumb, is that of bonuses. The nation is sick and tired of the usual near boycotts due to disputes over bonuses. This should be sorted well in time before the tournament kicks-off.
