21 Jun 2017

While the exit of Botswana’s senior national team coach, Peter Butler has elicited mixed reactions amongst football lovers, it might just be a blessing in disguise for some of the youngsters the Briton used to work with during his stay with the Zebras.

Good riddance some might say, but what they might not be realising is that out of the squad that Butler will be inheriting at the neighbouring South Africa’s elite ABSA Premiership side Platinum Stars, he might let some players he is inheriting at the club go to make room for some of the locals he groomed at the national team.

Platinum Stars is the former Zebras gaffer’s new home after leaving his six months contract with Botswana Football Association (BFA) incomplete and the SA team might prove to be the next destination for some of the youthful players he used in his squad such as the AS Vita of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) based striker Onkabetse Makgantai.

There is also Omaatla Kebatho, the hard running striker of Orapa United, the lanky striker Thabang Sesinyi of Jwaneng Galaxy as well as other equally talented players that Butler has worked with for some time now in the Zebras camp.

Unless the Briton decides to close the Botswana chapter and punish the locals after his much publicised post-match interview that led eventually to him throwing in the towe on the Zebras job, Butler might be tempted to look here for some of the players to kick-off his new chapter of African club coaching work.

The side Butler is at has previously been the next stop for one of Botswana’s finest exports, Mogakolodi ‘Tsotso’ Ngele, where he established himself before being snatched by the rich Mamelodi Sundowns and later loaned to Bidvest Wits, the current ABSA Premiership champions.

Also, the proximity of Botswana to Rustenburg in the North West province might mean it would be easier for Butler to cross-over the border to negotiate with these players and their clubs to bring them into his fold.

The South Africa ABSA Premiership does allow a handful of foreigners, five is the maximum to form part of its playing legion and one or two players that Butler has previously worked with in the Zebras would not be bringing too much foreigners into Platinum Stars.

In an interview, a football fan, Andrew ‘Druzah’ Modo of Molapowabojang said the coach’s departure could be a blessing in disguise for most of the youthful talent he loved working with.

“He really worked well with these young players and believed so much in them, so it would not be surprising that he might take two or three players with him to his new side,” he noted.

Modo said Butler had such a cordial relationship with the players and even came back to bid the players good bye before he left for South Africa.

He said the Briton was also much interested in grooming young talent and having worked in Botswana as the only African country he ever coached at, should he need fresh young players in his side, he might know well where to turn to.

Even local coaches such as the likes of Keitumetse ‘Pio’ Paul, who at one point served as his deputy at the Zebras might fall within the radar when he finally settles and chooses his technical team at Platinum Stars.

So Butler’s Zebras departure might serve the country a far greater favour than when he struggled to win any major cup for the nation such as COSAFA, AFCON and CHAN at the helm of the country’s hottest coaching seat. BOPA