Rollers looking to become one of Africa’s top clubs, says Kavazovic

by Staff Reporter

Thursday Feb 15, 2018. 12:00

Township Rollers head coach Nikola Kavazovic says that the team’s performance against Sudanese giants Al Merrikh underlines the club's ambition of becoming a top African side.

Botswana Premier League (BPL) giants secured a 3-0 victory over Al Merrikh in the 2018 CAF Champions League preliminary round first-leg match in Gaborone last weekend.

"Township Rollers is not just a football club anymore,” Kavazovic told the club’s official website.

“It is a project; myself, the club president and the players are working on a long term plan of turning this into a football giant that competes in the continent.

Al Merrikh are one of best clubs in Africa having won the Sudanese Premier League title 16 times. They reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2015.

On the other hand, record 14-time BPL champions Rollers are looking to reach the Champions League group stage for the first time.

“Unfortunately in Botswana football, sometimes people only think of the three points of a match, and may not be patient and panic,” the Serbian coach continued.

“We may not win the league, the Mascom Top 8 or make to the group stage of the Champions League; but we are on our way to becoming one of the giants of football, if not in Africa at least in Southern Africa.

“Today we showed that; we did not just beat the team ranked fifth in Africa, we outplayed them, we showed quality in the level of play, the tactical discipline, the defensive play, the transition, the ball possession and the attack.”

The second-leg match will take place at the Al-Merrikh Stadium in Omdurman on Wednesday, the 21st of February 2018.