The good Zebras' memories are fast disappearing in the rear view mirror as the euphoric moments of 2012 fade into the distant past.
Last year in November, the Botswana Football Association (BFA) handed Mpote the task to recreate the beautiful moments and send Zebras supporters back into dreamland.
But as he approaches 12 months as the substantive driver of a new dream, Mpote still faces a headache.
His charges have often folded like a cheap suit, crushing the nation’s hopes of replicating the magic of the past. The Zebras have been timid in the AFCON qualifiers, where they almost brought up the rear in a group that had Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, and Libya.
They were lifeless in a COSAFA Cup campaign that failed to progress beyond the group stages in Durban in July. The last official assignment ended in a 3-0 defeat to the Cartage Eagles of Tunisia, as there is still no reminder of the joys recorded more than a decade ago.
There is a collective agreement that the Zebras are a much-improved outfit from the one that reached new lows in 1999 when Botswana was ranked 165 in the FIFA rankings.
However, the regularity of defeats has been concerning, leaving the Zebras at number 149, a position that they have toyed with since 2017. Mpote was brought in to stabilise a sinking ship or to crank a comatose engine back to life. But as he rolls his blue work suit sleeves, Mpote knows that the odds are heavily stacked against him.
While he was appointed a year ago, Mpote’s targets only kick in next month when he starts his 2026 World Cup journey. The four targets are by no means easy as they include winning the COSAFA Cup, taking the Zebras to the African Nations Championships as well as qualifying for the 2025 AFCON finals. The targets have weightings from which the coach will be measured at the end of his three-year journey with the Zebras. The BFA has tasked Mpote with taking the Zebras from the current position of 44 in Africa into the top 30.
The mother body has not indicated what will be the pass mark at the end of Mpote’s tour of duty. Will anything above 50% be considered a success for a coach who could be feeling the heat before the actual assignment starts? If he qualifies for the CHAN finals, Mpote is guaranteed 20 marks, the same weighting as winning the COSAFA Cup. Taking the Zebras into Africa’s top 30 also carries 20 marks. Qualifying for the 2025 AFCON finals will earn Mpote 40 marks, with his three-year assignment marked out of 100.
On Monday, Mpote will play probably the final international friendly match against Eswatini before the World Cup qualifiers begin and the task is daunting. Botswana opened their campaign with a COSAFA derby against Mozambique in a group that also includes former African champions, Algeria, Guinea, Somalia and Uganda. Only the top team qualifies for the 2026 World Cup finals to be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
