Da Rosa set the platform with a campaign changing win away to Cape Verde before he completed the double at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium to leave the Zebras on the brink of a second AFCON finals qualification. Ramoreboli was roped in for the remaining two games of the qualifiers with the task of seeing the team across the line. He managed two draws against Mauritania and Egypt which were sufficient to send the Zebras to the finals in Morocco. The South African achieved qualification largely with a squad that Da Rosa had built. He had little time to tweak as the key target was to achieve qualification given the short period. His appointment has not been without (unnecessary) controversy with the Botswana Coaches Association reportedly digging its heels questioning his choice over a local.
The coaches association might have their points (valid or invalid) but for now the bigger picture is what matters. One would be keen to know if the coaches association had forwarded a name(s) for consideration or they have been throwing jabs at the Botswana Football Association without providing a concrete solution. Their mandate is to represent their constituency, which is the local coaches and be vociferous when they feel things are not being done right. That no one can fault them. However, the appointment of Ramoreboli seemed, judging by the reactions across, to enjoy widespread backing. Let him now do his job and fail or succeed without undue influence. The time for others will come, without a doubt. Botswana and other African countries have opened their doors to coaches from far-flung areas like Europe, but they twist their nose when a fellow brother (who is even conversant in the local language) is given the Zebras gig. It shows our mentality that we celebrate the skin and frown on one of our own. Let the nation get behind Ramoreboli, he is not a bad choice after all as he earned his stripes while at Jwaneng Galaxy. If he fails, he has to be removed and someone take over the baton.
Away from the controversy, Ramoreboli has got his chance to put his own signature on the team following the squad announcement on Friday. Hopefully, Ramoreboli will prove to be a national coach. The key word here is 'national' as the team has to be as representative as possible. Often, when coaches are elevated from their clubs to national team assignments, they are stuck with a syndrome of selecting mostly players from their former clubs, whether merited or not. In journalism, there is what is referred to as 'ethnocentric' reporting where the reporter has a bias towards writing about their culture. It's not always negative but at the same time, it is not a desirable scenario as one has to get out of their comfort zone. The hope is that Ramoreboli sees the bigger picture and affords each and every single player an opportunity if they do meet the standards of representing the nation. For now, the ball is in Ramoreboli's court and qualification to the 2026 World Cup remains a possibility.
