Morena confident Botswana will make Afcon knockout stage

Botswana senior national team coach Morena Ramoreboli is planning to repay the Botswana Football Association’s (BFA) faith in him by guiding the national to the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco next month.The Zebras are in a tough Group D alongside Senegal, Benin and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The SA-born mentor said he was happy to be leading the team in Morocco and it was now up to him to make the association happy. “To be honest with you, I’m very happy,” Ramoreboli told the SA Football Journalist Association on Tuesday in a virtual interview. “Sometimes, there are things we need to understand; as much as it’s you who’ll be celebrated or maybe getting recognition, there are young coaches out there who need to know that it is possible. It doesn’t matter where you are coming from; if you believe and you are working hard, you can achieve greater things.Sometimes, there are things we need to understand; as much as it’s you who’ll be celebrated or maybe getting recognition, there are young coaches out there who need to know that it is possible.—  Botswana coach, Morena Ramoreboli “I think, for me, I’ve always been saying God has been good in my journey. He has been good to me. I still feel that this was a spiritual journey for me to be where I am. I still say I need to remain humble, keep working hard and there are a lot of things that we will achieve. “I’m humbled to have been given this responsibility by the BFA. They have allowed me to grow as a coach. Everyone has been supporting me, and I think it is up to me now … to make them happy as well.”Ramoreboli also revealed their realistic goals in the Afcon, looking at their group and the mandate from the BFA. He is optimistic they can advance to the knockout stage, but it will need a lot of hard work from everyone. “The plan is to go for the knockout stage, which we all know will require a lot of commitment and a lot of hard work,” he said.“It will also need a lot of good performances from individuals and a lot of proper analyses from our side. Football has taught me that if you want to achieve something, you must work as hard towards it. The pressure is there; we need to do well; we need to make sure that we get points and qualify for the next stage of the tournament, which I feel is possible.”Sowetan
2025-11-19 10:41:45