New coaches in charge for Cup of Nations qualifiers

South Africa-born Morena Ramoreboli has been handed the task of helping Botswana secure Africa Cup of Nations qualification this week, one of five new coaches in charge as the preliminaries to determine the 24 finalists for Morocco next year conclude.

Botswana are one win away from only their second Cup of Nations finals appearance and can seal up their place in the 24-team finals next year if the beat Mauritania in Francistown on Friday.

The Zebras are in second place in Group C, behind already-qualified Egypt, but despite the positive results saw their French coach Didier Gomes da Rosa quit after last months’ set of qualifiers when they upset the Cape Verde Islands both home and away. Gomes da Rosa cited differences with the new Botswana Football Association leadership as his reason for leaving but quickly signed a deal to coach in Libya.

Ramoreboli has been tasked with taking over for the final two qualifiers against Mauritania at home and Egypt away. He has previously been the caretaker coach for South Africa at the Cosafa Cup and in Botswana won the league title with Jwaneng Galaxy, plus last season engineered the surprise elimination of Orlando Pirates in the African Champions League and Galaxy’s progress to the group phase of the competition.

There are also new coaches at the helm of Burundi, the Central African Republic, Liberia, Malawi and Tunisia for the final two rounds of the qualifiers, which will be completed by Tuesday.

LIBERIA: Thomas Kojo played in South Africa with Maritzburg United when they were in the second tier and coached at FC AK and got a win in his first match in charge of the Lone Stars on Wednesday as they beat Togo 1-0 in Monrovia. Kojo took over as caretaker coach from the Romanian Mario Marinica, who was fired after a double defeat by Equatorial Guinea last month.

BURUNDI: Patrick Sangwa was named their new coach, handed a two year deal just five days after the firing of Etienne Ndayiragije on October 24.

The 51-year-old Sangwa is a duel Belgium-DR Congo national. who has coached in the lower leagues in Belgium as well as served as the assistant coach for Burundi. He makes his debut in charge of the side on Thursday as Burundi host Malawi in neutral Abidjan.

MALAWI: Former Zimbabwe defender and national team coach Callisto Pasuwa has taken over from the ex-Kaizer Chiefs centre back Patrick Mabedi in charge of the Flames. Mabedi was fired after Malawi’s hope of qualifying for the Cup of Nations finals ended with defeat last month against Senegal. Malawi have lost all four of their group matches and sit without any points in Group L.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: The ‘Fauvas de Bas Oubangui’ play their last two Group B qualifiers in South Africa, first against Lesotho in Bloemfontein on Thursday and then at the Orlando Stadium on Monday against Gabon. Their former captain Eloge Enza was appointed interim coach for the two game safter the firing of the journeyman Swiss coach Raoul Savoy last month. The Central African Republic can still qualify for their first ever Cup of Nations finals appearance but must win both matches and also hope that Gabon lose at home to Morocco on Friday.

TUNISIA: Veteran coach Faouzi Benzarti got his marching orders only three months after being appointed to the job, following a shock home defeat to tiny Comoros Island in the Cup of Nations qualifiers last month. Benzarti, 74, was in a fourth spell as coach of Tunisia, who remain top of their qualifying group despite taking a single point from back-to-back games against the Comoros and can qualify under interim coach Kais Yaacoubi when they take on Madagascar in Pretoria on Thursday .