Zimbabwe: Coach Comes Out Guns Blazing

By Robson Sharuko

BOTSWANA coach, Adel Amrouche, says he is a man on a mission, driven by his love for African football, a passion to make a difference and the courage to take on some difficult assignments.

The 52-year-old Algerian insists the picture painted about him, of a gaffer who is one of the world's most controversial coaches, is unfair on a reputation he has worked tirelessly to build.

Amrouche's Zebras are set to host the Warriors in an AFCON qualifier in Gaborone next month, with a victory handing them control of their destiny, with just one round of fixtures, remaining.

The Algerian already knows how to beat the Warriors as he was in charge of Burundi, when they defeated Zimbabwe 2-1, in a 2013 AFCON qualifier in Bujumbura.

The coach, who has worked extensively across the continent, contacted The Herald yesterday to address a number of issues, including the ban he received for allegedly spitting at a referee and accusations that he is a shadowy player agent.

He also claimed his views, suggesting the Super Eagles used juju, were only meant to be some mind games to try and deflect the concentration of the Nigerians.

The Nigerians, he said, were a people he respected as much as he did the Zimbabweans.

Amrouche said he was just a victim of what he termed the "CAF Mafia," who tried to punish him for something he didn't do.

He said he is concerned that, in football, there was now an obsession with negativity, instead of the positive work being done.

"I saw your article this morning, you did your job as journalist, I don't have the capacity to judge you as journalist," he said in his response to the article published in this newspaper this week.

"I saw your style, how you write, I think you have the experience, with a good style, in my opinion.

"But, there are lot of mistakes, like spitting at a referee, I never spat at referees (that's why) they (CAF) reduced my ban (from one year) to six games.

"You journalists, you use your pen to put players, and coaches, under pressure, to force them to work with you, to get some percentage (of their) money.

"More then 80 percent of journalists are agents and I know more than 60 percent of them, I'm not saying you are one of them but I'm going to do my investigation about you.

"Let me tell you this advice, don't be one of the Africans who (destroy their) African brothers and, the ghost coaches who come to make business from African players, you give them big space and you write golden words about them.

"I still fight those coaches.

"The African coach is not protected and my feeling, sometimes, you see differences because of the skin colour, North African coaches, and I start to see the existence of racism against white African coaches.

"I have respect for people who respect me but for those, who don't respect me, I will be the bad man, (like no one they have) never met in their life."

He said he started coaching in African countries, outside his home territory, in 2000 when he landed in the Kinshasa, to take charge of DC Motemba Pembe and, in the last two decades, his impressive record speaks for itself.

Amrouche said he hasn't only improved the level of the game, wherever he has worked on the continent, but has also helped boost the quality of the players, transforming them into athletes good enough to secure contracts with foreign clubs.

His mission, he claimed, was driven by his passion to make a difference, to leave a legacy and to change the lives of the players, he has worked with, for the better.

"Why is it that no one talks about my achievements? With DCMP Kinshasa, three years, I lost four games," he said. "In Burundi, I changed the football history of that country, I beat all big national teams, even without a (big) budget.

"In Kenya, in 20 games, I never lost any games before I was banned (by) that Mafia of CAF and I won my case against them.

"And, with Libya, I changed the national team, I brought a new generation and, now, half of the team play out of the country. I am a coach who prefers to work and not to talk.

"I stopped because they stopped my assistant and, (what do you do) if you don't get your money for six months? I had a contract, and I know how to protect myself in such things.

"I'm a man of principle, all the people know me here in Africa.

"And, I won my case against them (the Libyan football authorities). Don't forget I was I top of the group when I resigned, I'm the first UEFA Pro License (holder) in Africa and the only Instructor for EFA Pro License who is originally from Africa.

"In Botswana, you see, from the time I took the team, the players have changed completely, now we are not Zebras but we took your name, we are Warriors."

He said he can't be blamed for raising the level of players, who work with him, and end up securing lucrative contracts with foreign clubs.

Instead, said Amrouche, he should be praised for making a difference, not only in the lives of such players, but also raising the level of the game in the countries he has worked.

"All players, who work with me, get a chance to go play in Europe because I raise the levels, for these boys, to be on the same levels of European players," he said.

"Ask yourself, why this coach, when he starts to work with any team, the players start to move out?

"Ask yourself how Botswana, without (an active) league for one year, no friendly games, won against Zambia, which is a good team, which played five games and their league never stopped?

"I'm very proud of what I have done for African players, I changed the life of all the players and I got blessings from their families."

This article originally appeared on The Zimbabwe Herald

Photo: The Zimbabwe Herald