Photo Credit: Botswana Football Association
Botswana interim head coach Morena Ramoreboli has apportioned credit to his predecessor Didier Gomes da Rosa for the Zebras' 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification.
The South African stepped in the shoes of the Frenchman who resigned weeks before the remaining AFCON qualifiers mid-last month citing a poor working relationship with the Botswana Football Association’s newly elected president Tariq Babitseng. Da Rosa quit after two back-to-back wins over Cape Verde to pick a job at Al Ahli Tripoli in Libya before the Jwaneng Galaxy mentor oversaw two draws, including one-all against Mauritania to book the Zebras the flight to Morocco.
It was clear that Botswana’s qualification was largely due to the two wins hence the 43-year-old South African gave credit where it is due in a recorded post-match interview which Pan-Africa Football has accessed on BFA Facebook page.
“I need to take this opportunity to thank the players. They usually say coaches make players and players make coaches, and when you have a good group of individuals who are willing to work and die for one mission, then everything is possible. They did so well and also the association gave us support. For the country, we thank them for their prayers,” he said.
The former Bafana Bafana B team handler acknowledged the groundwork Da Rosa did by instilling a strong mentality in the Zebra’s squad.
“We also need to give da Rosa credit. The mentality that I found here was something out of this world. These boys were willing to take instructions; they were willing to defend...he also deserves the credit but the most important thing, we need to thank the man above,” Ramoreboli added.
Botswana earned the AFCON spot after a hard-fought one-all draw in Egypt on Tuesday for the visitors to take their tally to eight points, six behind the Pharaohs while shrugging off competition from Mauritania (seven points) in Group C. Needing just a point to sail through, the Zebras endured a nervy finish to the game as Trezeguet scored for the Pharaohs in the 15th minute to cancel out Botswana’s Omaatla Kebatho’s goal scored eight minutes earlier in Cairo.
The Zebras are making their second appearance at the AFCON finals after having done so over a decade ago.
Comments