05 Nov 2023

Newly appointed men’s senior national team, the Zebras coach, Didier Gomes da Rosa has been given a free  role to develop local football to greater heights.

The experienced coach will be performing multiple tasks and direct all national teams, including the Mares.

Introducing the new coach at a press conference on Friday, Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, Maclean Letshwiti said the coach has worked in many countries across Africa.

Letshwiti said he would develop and oversee a robust development programme and direct all other national team coaches of different age groups and categories. The BFA president said the new coach would be their ‘chief technical point man,’ and would drive the associations vision and goals, which include qualifying for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2025.

Letshwiti said their biggest weakness was failing to prepare national teams to compete at regional and continental competitions and that they instead participated.

“We only participate and fail to compete, but for a team to be successful, it must be prepared to compete,” he said.

He noted that young talented players dropped by the wayside because they were neglected and not given game time. “We lose players because we don’t look after them,” he said

For his part, Da Rosa said he was aware of the expectations that come with being at the helm of the senior national team, and that the country wants to qualify for major continental and global competitions.

He noted that two big matches were fast approaching for the World Cup qualifiers and that he would try his best to deliver as expected.

Da Rosa added that there was a need to create a strong link between junior national teams and the senior ones. ENDS