26 Aug 2014

The importance of a 12th player or supporter in any sport cannot be over emphasised because they play a major role in giving players the morale boost.

In football, only 11 players are allowed into a field of play but the supporter is referred to as the 12th player because they have the ability to boost their team when the chips are down

When any team is trailing, often than not, players need to be cheered, they want to hear the vuvuzelas, dikoma and see the Mexican wave, from their 12th player. This motivates the players. Former Zebras players; Thato Siska, Masego Nchingane, Seabo Gabanakgosi, Khumo Motlhabane and Diphetogo Selolwane can attest to that.

In fact, sometimes the presence of the 12th player can have an impact on how the team executes their game; hence it is important for supporters to travel with their team at any given day. In reality, Batswana have regressed to the epoch of German coach, Rudi Gutendorf in 1976 and Peter Cormack who was from Scotland at around 1986–87.

During those times, the Zebras did not enjoy massive support and the games were watched by only those who understood the technical aspect of the game. However, during the era of Serbian coach, Veselin Jelušić around 2002-2006 the supporters took football as entertainment, and they knew they could take their families to the stadium and watch the Zebras.

And it was during that time when the Zebras had a big following, and the fans managed to travel with the team to countries such as Malawi and Kenya. Then came Colwyn Rowe and Stanley Tshosane. Yes the supporters would pack the stadium to capacity. But things have changed now. The supporters are not coming any more.

Where were the supporters when the Zebras played a friendly game against Swaziland? Where were they when the national team played against Burundi, Guinea Bissau both home and away? Where is the Zebras supporters club?

Zebras have been showing good signs when they qualified for AFCON 2015 group stages where they will face Africa’s power houses like Tunisia, Senegal and Egypt. And in all these games they will need the 12th player.

Again, Zebras have moved 13 places up in recent Coca Cola FIFA rankings. Last month the team was ranked 99th but has improved to position 86 in the world. In Africa, Zebras moved from position 27 to 22.

Just at the 2014 world cup that was staged in Brazil, the world football governing body FIFA is said to have repossessed Nigeria’s football supporters musical instrument because they were irritating other supporters, well their intension was not to vex other supporters, but to rally behind their team.

But this tendency of not attending, Zebras’ game is also a concern to Botswana Football Association president, Tebogo Sebego. He told BOPA that he was aware that it was going to take time for Batswana to believe in their team.

He said at the moment he would not blame the supporters for not attending the games “history will tell that for a team to have support they have to play attractive football, hence we took it upon ourselves to improve the quality of our football,” he said.

Sebego said since AFCON 2012 to date they were beginning to see an increase at the stadiums, adding that as BFA and other stakeholders they needed to work extra harder so that people come in large numbers to rally behind the Zebras.

He said the fact that the team had reached the group stages, was a clear manifestation that more work has been done.“The time is now for Batswana to fill the stadiums, the team is playing well given that they score goals, they do not concede unnecessarily and they create a lot of chances.” he said.

However, in the street, some people who were interviewed cited different reasons for their absence at the stadiums.

Some said they watch the game on television, whereas others said it was because of work commitment.

For Ofilwe Dicheleketo, he said poor marketing of the games contribute to poor attendance, adding that sometimes the national team would play a crucial game, and most people being unaware of such game.He said ticket prices should be revisited so that Batswana could attend games in large numbers, given that the players need the support.

Christopher Mukuwa also agreed that tickets prices were very high, adding that tickets selling points should not be concentrated in one area only.

He said the coach was currently doing well hence he needed the support from the nation.

The self-acclaimed, Zebras number one supporter, Samuel Rakgowa said he never missed any Zebras home games, but decried that tickets prices were very high, considering that economic recession had affected a lot of people.

He further said Zebras supporters branches, should also make it a habit to arrange trips, more especially when the team was playing away.

Kenanao Ragongwanyane said she sometimes failed to attend Zebras games due to work commitment, urging supporters to attend games in large numbers because the Zebras have qualified for group stages.

She further said BFA should also consider reducing prices to entice supporters to fill the stadiums. Ends