The recent debacle during the Mares COSAFA squad announcement served just as the tip of the iceberg. After then coach, Alex Malete announced an experienced squad for the regional tournament, BFA technical advisor, Kaelo Kaelo stepped in, resulting in the re-composition of the squad. Malete and other senior players were let go at the 11th hour and in came younger players. If there was a clearly defined technical plan, the BFA, through the technical director would not have intervened on the eve of the tournament, a saga that morphed into a national embarrassment overnight. The BFA, together with its technical teams, should know well in advance which tournaments demand a certain calibre of players. It should not be ad hoc; instead there should be a clearly laid down procedure. What the nation saw prior to the Mares departure to COSAFA tournament reflected an organisation at odds with itself. If the plan is in black and white that the COSAFA or say CHAN, is a developmental tournament, then the coaches will know what do. It became apparent during the recent Mares fracas that it is not the case at the moment, and that the BFA really needs to put its house in order. Now, Botswana will host the Four Nations tournament, starting March 28, around 10 days from now, and the Zebras squad had not been announced at press time. On the other hand, invited nations have long named their squads which include foreign based players.
The visitors, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe have shown seriousness in naming formidable sides that will help shape their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations campaign. But the hosts have not shown an element of urgency, waiting until the very last seconds before Morena Ramoreboli names his squad. Granted, there is no hurry to release the names, but it is important to be in line with the invited nations to show that you as the hosts, are giving the tournament the seriousness it deserves. Again there are reports that Ramoreboli might name a largely experimental side. Let us hope this is not the case as other competing nations have gone all the way. There is nothing wrong with Ramoreboli using the tournament to try out young and upcoming talent with an eye for the future. However, this being a FIFA window, means there should be full utilisation as all players are available for selection.
