Morena Ramoreboli, recently appointed interim Botswana national team coach, has received some positive news ahead of his first assignment.
The Botswana Premier League [BPL’ has granted Ramoreboli and his squad more time to prepare for the AFCON 2025 qualifier against Mauritania by postponing next weekend’s league action.
A win for Botswana would almost see their team qualify for the continental showpiece for the first time since 2012.
Ramoreboli and, by extension, the Botswana Football Association [BFA] found it imperative to approach the BPL in order to give the newly appointed interim coach a chance to enjoy an extended familiarity spell with the squad before the make-or-break match.
The game, set to be held at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown on November 15, will be Ramoreboli’s first game in charge of the Zebras.
Ramoreboli and his charges were previously scheduled to have only four days to prepare for the decisive game, but they will now have more than 10 days to intensify their preparations. The BPL announced on Friday morning that they have postponed fixtures scheduled for the weekend of 9-10 November [matchday 6] to the weekend of 4-5 January 2025.
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“Consideration had to be made, on the one hand, to disrupt a season that is clearly gaining momentum and is succeeding in bringing people fashionably back to various stadia, and on the other hand, to put our patriotic hats and afford our senior national team a clear and present opportunity to prepare for a match that could book our tickets to the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 in 2025. Having agonised and obsessed over this matter, it was declared to put the Republic of Botswana first,” the BPL announced.
Meanwhile, should they qualify, Ramoreboli will etch his name in Botswana football folklore by becoming the first foreign coach to guide the team to AFCON qualification.
The Jwaneng Galaxy coach has already broken several club records in Botswana by leading Galaxy to two successive titles, a first-ever league and cup double and being the only Botswana club to reach the CAF Champions League group stage on two occasions.
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Story by Bongani Malunga
