Makwengwe and the ever-rising heat at Gunners

Mqondisi Dube | Monday January 16, 2023 16:00

He has been amongst an elite three, including Losika ‘Six’ Keatlholetswe and Ben Kgomela that has one of the most valuable and sought after coaching qualification.

Like most coaches, ‘Da Phil’ has led a nomadic life that has taken him through posts at Botswana Football Association (BFA), Gaborone United, Orapa United, TAFIC, Mochudi Centre Chiefs, Extension Gunners and his sole assignment abroad at South Africa’s Black Leopards.

His most recent assignment has landed him at one of the hottest coaching seats in the country - the Extension Gunners head coach post. Makwengwe’s charges have been battered and bruised in every encounter since the colourful character took charge eight games ago. Out of eight matches, Makwengwe's has one point.

The manner of defeats has stretched Makwengwe’s temperament and he is quoted as saying the situation is difficult as players have gone for six months without a salary. Such comments will naturally draw sympathy for the coach as the situation appears untenable. However, the tale of players going for some time without their dues can hardly form part of a concrete excuse for stuttering at Gunners.

In fact, it has become the daily life. Remember Gunners has failed to out rightly meet Club Licensing requirements for two consecutive seasons. Under a normal operating environment, an excuse that players have gone for months without pay is affecting the team’s play would be a good excuse which the management can accept.

But here we are talking about Gunners, a team that has become synonymous with enduring in-house issues, including failure to frequently remunerate playing staff. That’s why the likes of Wame ‘Pepezino’ Mokoke, ironically Makwengwe’s son, just went about their business without paying much attention to the usual Gunners financial struggles.

Phenyo 'Mzambia' Mongala thrived in the merciless environment that Mapantsola present. Makwengwe’s troubles were compounded over the weekend when Jwaneng Galaxy provided little mercy in a 3-0 shellacking.

It has left alarm bells ringing at Gunners and Makwengwe might find that trying to cling to the excuse of a hungry squad could be as difficult as attempting to find a needle in a haystack. Gunners, one of the most supported teams in the country, has surprisingly morphed into a haphazardly run organisation in the country.

Ezimnyama cannot simply shake off the rust that has engulfed its two crossed guns which have become the hallmark of the team’s logo. It appears a long way back for a team that enjoyed success many moons back. Gunners’ supporters have been reduced to cheering a lone victory here and there and basically are trying to be content with feeding on bread crumbs. Makwengwe has found out that the situation is inhabitable. In the meanwhile, Gunners’ rivals Gaborone United and Township Rollers are soaring. What will baffle the supporters are the club’s Jekyll and Hyde performances that have characterised two coaches’ recent stays; one, an under-qualified but achieving greenhorn and the other, a sufficiently qualified veteran who is finding the going tough.