Notwane and Santos should be recognised for their role in football development

 

Notswane and Santos players during a league match.
 Notwane survived relegation while Santos
 was relegated to first division in the 2013/14 season.

@segankure


The relegation of Uniao Flamego Santos to Debswana first division and the annual near-relegation of Notwane FC should be recognised as a tragedy to Botswana football.  It should never be swept away as a by-product of beMOBILE remier League competition dynamics.

Both of the teams are special clubs with a long commitment to player development, something which even our own Botswana Football Association (BFA) has failed to match at any level. Currently there are graduates of the development programs of either Santos or Notwane in the top premier league sides. If at all success in the premier league was based on the products of these development programs, then two would by all accounts be the richest clubs in the country.

As such, exploiters benefit from their hard work and are sitting at the top of the local game, somehow aided and supported by BFA. BFA ignore their own role in recognising the efforts of those who take development seriously as stipulated by world football overlords at FIFA.

The two clubs have been running development programs for over two decades now and it is indeed a huge financial as well as a moral commitment to the football fraternity.  The commitment demonstrates not only a higher vision but also a deep affection for the game of football that goes way beyond quick money. Great contributors like Sexton Kowa should not be left to fight their own battles in an unregulated minefield controlled by player dealers.

It all starts with those in with power among the BFA and they should realise the special role which Notwane and Santos occupy. In addition, they should create conditions which will encourage others to follow the same path. The two clubs are in danger of perishing, and that means the same for the entire future of Botswana football. KP

Extension Gunners will decide the league title

By Pulane Kelapile



Extension Gunners Football Club


We are approaching the end of the season and Extension Gunners had mixed fortunes throughout the 2013-14 marathon campaign.  

At one point they found themselves dangerously languishing at the relegation zone and soccer pundits were already writing their obituary. They were about to make history by relegating to the Debswana First Division South for the first time ever. The Peleng Giants seem to have found their fortunes as evidenced by the recent good results.

Gunners has a mammoth task of having to face the Top 4 Sides who are challenging for the title namely, BDF XI, Mochudi Centre Chiefs, Gaborone United and Township Rollers. Against all odds, Mapantsola as they are affectionately called by their legion of fans started their journey well after downing the Army boys by 2 goals to 1 recently. All eyes were on BDF XI to see how they would fare against Gunners who have been blowing hot and cold throughout the season.

The win meant a lot to Rollers and Mochudi Centre Chiefs with the latter thrashing relegation lurker Tafic 4-2. Rollers on the other side managed to salvage a point from BMC after a tough encounter.  The draw left Popa still patched at the Top with 54 Points and while Magosi were lagging behind with a point.

This coming weekend Extension Gunners are yet to face another tough task ahead of them against defending Champions at the National Stadium on Saturday. Though a game between the 2 giants never disappoints in terms of good attendance and display in the field of play, this time around the special ingredient will be the Coaches from both camps who happen to face their former employers for the first time.

The Serbian Dragojlo Stanajolovic now in Gunners colours will get a chance to prove his worth after he was unceremoniously relieved his duties by Chiefs management due to poor results among others. Mike Sithole also left Gunners for Chiefs therefore many unsolved issues which will be at stake this coming weekend.

After the weekend fixture Extension Gunners will face Gaborone United who are currently sitting on the fourth place in the league.  Gaborone United have defeated Gunners in the past 3 Premier League encounters by 1-0, 2-1 and 2-1 respectively and they will be looking to continue their dominance and inline closing the gap between at the top.  

However, Gunners will never give in that easily because they also want to finish in the Top 8 bracket. Extension Gunners duo of Tshepo Molefe and Kelello Kgosimore will work hard to show their former employers it was premature to deem them surplus to requirements.

Lastly on the tough Gunners radar will come Gaborone West based Township Rollers. No doubt fireworks are going to be massive on this one. Definitely Rollers are going to come with all knifes blazing up for revenge after that 1-0 loss during the first game of the season. Gunners have beaten Mapalastina 3 times in a row having eliminated them from last year’s Kabelano Charity Cup.

 Mapantsola won the second round game for the 2012-13 season which was played at the UB Stadium during the Easter Holidays. To top in all, this year’s encounter will be played again during the Easter Holidays. Win or lose,  Gunners will shape to of the log come the end of season.  

 

EXTENSION GUNNERS  PREMIER LEAGUE ENCOUTERS AGAINST TOP 4 TEAMS

BDF XI:

-          29-03-2014: Extension Gunners   2-1       BDF XI

-          17-09-2013: BDF XI        1-0       Extension Gunners

-          10-04-2013: BDF XI        2-0       Extension Gunners

-          23-09-2012: Extension Gunners   2-2       BDF XI

   MOCHUDI CENTRE CHIEFS:

-          05-04-2014: Mochudi  Centre Chiefs       VS       Extension Gunners

-          16-10-2013: Extension Gunners  0 -3  Mochudi Centre Chiefs

-          12-05-2013: Extension Gunners   1-1       Mochudi Centre Chiefs

-          26-09-2012: Mochudi Centre Chiefs        3 - 2     Extension Gunners

 

GABORONE UNITED:

-          12-04-2014: Extension Gunners   VS       Gaborone United

-          14-12-2013: Gaborone United      2 -1      Extension Gunners

-          01-04-2013: Gaborone United      2-1       Extension Gunners

-          03-11-2012: Extension Gunners   0-1       Gaborone United

 

TOWNSHIP ROLLERS:

-          20-04-2014: Extension Gunners   VS       Township Rollers

-          13-09-2013: Township Rollers      0 -1      Extension Gunners

-          30-03-2013: Township Rollers      0-2       Extension Gunners

-          24-11-2012            PRL     Extension Gunners      1-5       Township Rollers

Training without the ball is not beneficial

Players running in small groups during a training session.
Photo courtesy of extremesoccerloverx.blogspot.com

By Samuel Morewabone

“Playing the ball exclusively is the best way for soccer players to build fitness.” That was said by Sports photographer and editorialist, Axel Heiken. As true as the afore mentioned expression is, some of our local tacticians consider spending too much time running without the ball, all in the name of “fitness.”

Players, particularly amateurs should practice purely with the ball. Studies and surveys points out that footballers run 4-7miles (contingent on position) during the 90 minutes of a football match. They are subjected to abbreviated but critical and intense periods of hard work at atypical intervals complete rest periods.

Players go through toilsome training sessions week in and week out. In most cases, physical trainers are amply won over by the cliché that if they are physically prime than their next opponents, then they will get the better of them with ease and minimal repose. Physical fitness has more than its due credit that some coaches have the assumption that other prospects like mental fitness and tactics of the game of football are utterly standard and thus physical fitness is crème de la crème.

This has gone to a degree where by all on-field troubles are blamed on lack of “fitness”. In addition a lot of this collateral running would probably be of paramount use if they were orthogonal to the game of football itself.

It is boring that our local players in the premier league spend most of their time at their teams, doing something similar to fartlek training and can’t even string 4-5 passes in between themselves, to say the least!

However, endurance is still a vitally important virtue in a football player. In training sessions, it will actually make a wholly sense and logic for Michael Kopt’s notorious “Intermittent endurance training” to reproduce the types of exertion found in literal and actual match play. It can also be seen as a varieties of definitive interval training methods where players do acute and intensive sprints until the game ends, giving the players longer breaks.

In the long run, players must be vulnerable to short periods of exertion that may be maximal or submaximal. However, these should always be soccer-specific, interrupted by brief, irregular rest periods because the higher the ability level, the shorter the breaks.

Intermittent endurance training is somehow similar to fartlek training in the demands it places on the heart and circulatory system. It also allows training of technical/tactical concepts simultaneously. KP

Chelsea's road to Lisbon looks bright after Galatasaray win

Chelseas's defender Gary Cahill (left), Galatasaray player Umut
Bulut (center)and Chelsea defender John Terry (right) during
a Champions'sleague match on Tuesday 18 Match 2014. Chelsea
won 2-0. Photo courtesy of www.chelseafc.com.

By Kgotso Kennekae

Once again, Chelsea is has proven to be the last English club standing in Europe. Arsenal and Manchester City have eliminated, Manchester United are teetering hazardously on the brink of elimination and Spurs have been knocked out from the Europa League.


Didier Drogba’s much celebrated return to Stamford Bridge was ruined by goals from Gary Cahill and Samuel Etoo. Drogba who was making a return to Stamford Bridge since his final bow on the 19^th May 2012 failed to score on the night.

It was another giant of African football Samuel Etoo who scored the opener against a Galatasaray side whose defense was outshined by Chelsea attack all night. The blues positively started like a side which meant business.
Chelsea seized control of the last-16 tier four minutes into the match when Samuel Eto'o scored with a low shot after a lovely piece of skill by Eden Hazard and Oscar cut the Turkish side open. Etoo’s low shot was too powerful for Fernando Muslera who made an effort to save but the ball drifted into the net. It was a dream start which Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho wanted. Mourinho's team seemed to play with control and knowledge. 
The goal gave Chelsea a total control of the game, with Galatasaray offering little going forward. The first Galatasaray attack came on the 18^th minute as Drogba tried his luck from 18 yards out with a bicycle kick which flew well over.
Galatasaray had not won in eight previous visits to English clubs, drawing three and losing five. The odds of ending that streak were slight after Chelsea scored the first goal and it never looked like Mancini had the experience overturn that. The former Manchester City manager substituted one of his players after half an hour in the first leg but his tactics failed
Drogba frequently played on the side, after failing to outclass the Chelsea center back John Terry. He drifted wide in a bid to unsettle César Azpilicueta or Branislav Ivanovic but he couldn’t offer his team the performance they required because Azpilicueta outmuscled him by the touchline.

Drogba's first chance came from a free-kick and he put it so high. Chelsea’s second goal came from a combination of Britain based players being Lampard who took the corner. Terry headed it into Muslera but Cahill finished it off on rebound. Terry was the player who attacked the ball with the greatest intentions, with no one following his run. Muslera kept out the header but could only parry the ball into the six-yard area where Cahill followed in to volley his shot high into the net.
The second half was a cold and damp affair with Galatasaray looking resigned to defeat and Chelsea intending to finish the game off.

However the Chelsea fans were not to be bothered as they sang Drogba’s name throughout the last minutes of the game. KP

March fever strikes at the Emirates

Above, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
His facial expression tells it all.

By Thusang Gure

March has not been a friendly month for the Arsenal.  The recent defeat to title rivals Chelsea on Saturday 22 March 2014 will hurt for the longest while. Arsene Wenger was leading Arsenal for the 1000th game in charge and it was definitely one to forget. Only 17 minutes in to the game and Arsene Wenger’s boys were 3 nil down and went on to lose 6-0. Their latest 5-1 defeat at the hands of Liverpool in Anfield started hovering in their minds.  Despite the Red Card no championship daring team should lose 6 nil. Therefore Arsenal has conceded 17 goals against title contenders and scored only 2 in 3 games.

Their defeat to Stoke City on the 1st day of the month was the start of a dreadful fever yet again. In the upcoming fixtures, they will host the free scoring Manchester City and take a difficult trip to Everton the following week. As usual, many people will expect Wenger’s men to collapse at the Emirates. The problem with Arsenal has been their inability to beat their title rivals and they couldn't even beat a dreadful ended Manchester United.

Arsenal have been in top 4 for almost 2 decades now but these consecutive defeats questions their credibility as a top side. They do not just lose to their rivals but they lose with a huge margin. They can’t win at home let alone win any silverware.  Wenger's contract is coming to an end and many people are looking forward to the decision concerning his contract.

Perhaps, a big question an Arsenal fan can ask themselves is “What change will Wenger bring that he failed to give in the past 9 years of trophy drought? At Killerpass we will wait for that killer question to be answered!

Arsenal should instil discipline on and off the field

Arsenal players showing signs of indiscipline on the
field of play.

By Thusang Gure

Arsenal is a team that is well known for their beautiful, mesmerizing and passing football. It’s a culture that is admired by many and has often been linked to their manager Arsene Wenger. Wenger believes that professionalism should be extended to beyond the pitch.

Professionalism has been Arsenal’s reputation but recently one would wonder if they have pulled the foot off the gas. Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshire was caught smoking in public and this was heavily criticised by the media, football fraternity and the public at large. Wenger’s real intentions were questioned last summer during the £40 million bid for Liverpool’s Luis Suarez. Suarez has been surrounded by controversy as a result of his unpleasant behaviour on the field of play.

Puma has signed a long term $150 million contract with Arsenal and speculations are rising and linking Mario Balloteli to the Emirates. Nobody doubts the Italian international's ability on the field but it is how he behaves off the field that seems to be the problem.
Recently there have been inappropriate reports of Nicklas Bendtener leaving the camp without permission and arguing with taxi drivers in Copenhagen. These reports show that Arsenal doesn’t have that uniqueness and perception to discipline their players.
 
Arsenal’s trophy drought is stretching to almost a decade now and lack of concentration off the pitch may be one of the contributing factors. The gunners will meet Wigan at Wembley in a mouth-watering FA Cup Semi-final. In 2011, Arsenal was embarrassed by Birmingham City in the Capital one Cup final and they will be looking forward to ending their still trophy drought this time around. If Arsenal is to end their trophy drought they will have to be at the top of their game on and off the pitch. KP

 

Psychologically Readying Players for Critical Situations

By Oganne Samuel

A beMobile encounter between Gaborone United and Extension
Gunners.

The 2007/08 Mascom premier league season came with it arguably the greatest comeback in local football between Mochudi Centre Chiefs and Township Rollers. Mapalastina, Rollers as they’re known in local circles, took a comfortable 2 nil lead earlier in the 1st half. For the better part of the match, it looked so as Rollers were in cruise to victory. Nevertheless, the Kgatleng side recovered from the slight floppiness and ended up netting 2 goals courtesy of their then on form golden boy, Jerome Ramatlhakwane to salvage a point from the game.

Greater sides can easily do that. And every time this comes about, the victorious are spotted while their opponents are left wondering with unanswered questions. In all verity, can most of our local teams, regional or national, imitate the very same conduct? Are our players the eccentrics to remain calm in severe baffling times in a game?

Our players are in all likelihood and probability to experience these hostile states of affairs much during the course of the season. It would rather be helpful for our players to practice the justest way of dealing with these situations well ahead of time.

Typically, when players encounter such beating and difficult conditions, either their ace getting injured or being outnumbered very early in the game, their power to think and act usually suffer. Their perspective constricts, their decision making get subdued. However, with proper rehearsals of such situations in repetition, they become familiar with it.

Coaches, together with their players, need to work out and elaborate potential resolutions for every stressful situation.  This could be just thoughts or discrete actions but playing numbers-down is doubtlessly a minus or disfavour if things are let out of control. But as it is always said, every bad situation brings with it a seed of greater greatness. A handicap can provide some advantages, sometimes such situations makes a team play much better than before. In some settings, players work extra harder and they start getting serious. Each player in this case takes on more responsibility, team spirit intensifies and on the spur of a moment, the team is back in the game.

Mind you, every asperity bears with it both an opportunity and a risk. But when players determine to always watch over an opportunity not the risk, they make the best of every situation that springs up. However, when making come backs players should ascertain to produce severe set plays in and around the penalty box. For example, Derpotivo La Coruna’s 2003/04 Champions league triumph over AC Milan where the Rosenerri led 4-1 in the 1st leg only for La Coruna to reverse it by a 4-0 victory in the 2nd leg. Staying calm, playing simple, keeping the pressure on, maintaining confidence and believing it is not over until the final whistle can also come in handy.

It is vitally profound to examine these ideas at practice first otherwise these procedures discussed might not work accurately. Usually coaches interrupts the infamous 11 v 11 practice game by taking off one of Team A’s players and altering the rules. They canalso increase the pressure with punishments for the losing team or even start one team with a point lead and so forth. Mentally replaying past successes is another thing that should be practiced well ahead of time to instill element of belief in players. KP