| If there’s an amateur league that is very interesting in the technical division then it’s none other than the beMobile Premier League. There exists too much changing of coaches as and when one wishes.
Statistics show that this league is dominated by foreign coaches with some of them referred to as ‘high profile’ coaches probably because of one or two silverware salvages from either the league or Coca Cola Cup during their tenure.
In other leagues outside our country, foreign coaches seem to stay much longer in one team regardless of the team’s status at the end of the season and we may borrow a leaf from them as it seems there is something they are doing right which we might be doing wrong.
I personally suspect that the so called ‘high profile coaches’ have an element of unreliability and have consequently developed dishonesty (unless they openly say why they are shuttling between teams). Whether what they get is worth the results they produce, still remains unanswered.
The recent triangular issue between Gaborone United, Centre Chiefs and Township Rollers revolving around ‘high profile’ coaches must undoubtedly be a very good lesson to a wise man on how tricky some foreign coaches can be and that in future some will think twice before falling into the same.
These gentlemen are surely here for business and will leave no stone unturned in as far as lucrative offers are concerned, regardless of what they would have agreed upon with whoever, their slogan is clear “money talks’’.
One thing that puzzles me a lot about these coaches is that they seem to learn little or nothing from their predecessors regarding circumstances that led them to parting with such teams.
The recently acquired GU coach is rumored to have made an agreement with Centre Chiefs only to turn his back on them upon getting a better offer from GU where he was previously fired for the never explained ‘professional misconduct’ and whether his return marks any improvement to such misconduct only GU management can tell but one may not be wrong to suggest that these are actions associated with desperation for rescuing the team from blunders made(by hiring a coach contracted to a professional team).
Centre Chiefs recently stated that their issue with Sithole was being looked into from the legal perspective and a press statement will be released to that effect.
To my surprise news broke that they have now acquired the services of Rollers coach, Rahman Gumbo, further cementing previous words by Chiefs PRO that they were in discussion with a number of high profile coaches.
There is only one question that comes to mind now, ‘whether we are not readying ourselves for yet another legal battle between Chiefs and Rollers because nothing has ever gone smooth between this clubs?’ and I am just crossing my fingers that maybe this time things were done right even though what is right to the other might be wrong to another.
All said and done, speculations will always prevail as the truth has never, and may probably never, be told to our sports journalists no matter how hard they try.
I propose that our teams make an introspection of themselves in as far as disclosure of information to journalists is concerned.
I’ve observed that teams give journalists information when things are going well but when the tables change the response they give is that, “we will give a press statement soon” but to my dismay that rarely happens.
Why then do you have PROs in your structures or have they now turned into ceremonial posts? It really disturbs for a league that aspires to grow to have its sports news dominated by phrases like, “ according to reliable sources’ instead of, “according to the team’s PRO.”
I further would like to advise most PROs to act responsibly and stop ignoring calls from journalists when the going gets tough in their respective teams contrary to what they do when things are smooth because I wonder how they would feel if journalists ‘revenge’ when they need them most to publish ‘good news’ of their teams.
I guess if there was transparency we wouldn’t have more questions than answers on this issue of coaches versus teams in who is fooling who.
I would like to end with some advice to my friend Gumbo to solicit advice from Wesley Mondo on how things are done at Chiefs lest he finds himself jobless before the end of the season.
By the way, I do not like to be left hanging in sports news so I would like to know from Centre Chiefs whether the acquisition of Gumbo’s services brings to an end the long-awaited press statement on Sithole’s sudden ‘betrayal’ to them?
Finally I would like to request the Premier League Committee to include in their annual plans a trip to Egypt together with the BFA technical director to benchmark on how “localization” in football is done and I am convinced that they will learn a lesson or two which might change our football for the better.
Witness Director Taziba
SEBINA |