National coach Stanley Tshosane has been skating on thin ice since the 2012 AFCON finals. But it is widely known that he would not have walked even if the 2014 World Cup campaign had ended in disaster. There is a huge payout package over his head and his masters at the Botswana Football Association (BFA) have been reluctant to show him the door. The pressure on Tshosane has been incessant; actually the noise levels about his departure were bound to rise.
The Zebras have endured a torrid two years, trying albeit without luck, to secure what was increasingly becoming an elusive win in competitive matches. The plot to salvage a severely dented pride was going awry until the return of a player nicknamed 'Umthakathi' - a Zulu word for wizard. It is Dirang Moloi's wizardry that has flummoxed many opposition players in the last two World Cup qualifiers and delivered Tshosane's kiss of life. The slim midfield magician ensured the Zebras restored respectability with a draw against Egypt before going down fighting to Ethiopia in a World Cup fixture. Despite, falling to Ethiopia, the Zebras showed intent to attack, abandoning their defensive play.It gave a glimpse of what the Zebras could offer offensively with Moloi at the heart of most decisive moves.He picked his teammates with consummate ease, occasionally conjuring that delightful chip, which would send the Lobatse Stadium crowd into delirium. A player who can inspire and disappoint in equal measure, Moloi has been playing truant, and at one stage, fans urged Tshosane to ignore him.
