03 Oct 2023

Introduction of  new players in the senior men national football team, The Zebras, seems to be paying dividends for coach Mogomotsi Mpote as he believes the move will help team with depth.

Mpote said in an interview after The Zebras’ 4-3 win on penalty shoot out against The Warriors of Zimbabwe in a friendly game on Independence Day at the National Stadium.

He said some the players in the national team were aging hence it was important that some players were given a run.

“I have been using some of these players in African Nations Championship and COSAFA tournament, so I think when the need arises we must not shy away from using them,” he said.

Furthermore, Mpote said the most important thing was to have a pool of players that would replace the aging players so that they continue where others had left off.

“But at the same time to have those players without giving them game time, it would be very difficult for them to play and bring results where it mattered most,” he said. On the team’s performance against Zimbabwe, he said he was happy that the players executed the game plan, adding that with good preparation they could continue to do better.

“I still repeat, I think there is something missing in our Premier League teams and as we were preparing for Zimbabwe, my main focus was to work the game’s intensity so that within 90 minutes we would have done everything to win the game,” he said.

According to Mpote, he was also using the game to rectify some of the mistakes that he identified during their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game against Tunisia.

He said during that game their first phase of attack was not good, adding that his approach of the game was that the team should build from defence, hence they worked very hard against Zimbabwe to ace their approach.

Also, he said he was impressed by 17-year-old debutant, Boikobo Matekula whom he described as very confident as he took a decisive penalty that ultimately gave The Zebras victory.

Mpote said he had been monitoring and working with him at U-17, adding that he tried the player in a high intensity game. ENDS