The past few days have been bittersweet for the fallen Kgatleng based football giants Mochudi Centre Chiefs.
Barely two weeks since the announcement of a P68 million valued 10 years sponsorship by DC Tours, the house of Magosi is in turmoil. The team supporters are up in arms over what they term the team’s failure to perform.
This past Saturday, things nearly got out of hand as some irate supporters sought to accost the team’s head coach Daniel Chicco Nare. Videos circulating on social media show some supporters threatening and insulting the coach as he is escorted off Chiefs’ famed Riverplate grounds.
The unsavoury incidents came in the backdrop of Magosi’s 1 – 2 loss to Union Flamengo Santos on the same day. It was the second successive loss for Magosi. A weekend ago, just a day after the announcement of the record sponsorship, Chiefs lost 0 – 1 to fellow promotion chasing Matebele Football Club.
Magosi are currently in position four in the Debswana First Division South league table. They are six points behind log leaders Crack It City Polar, five behind Matebele and three behind Notwane football club.
In the weekend video, some supporters can be heard shouting expletives at Nare. Some can be heard saying ‘he must go’ while some are gesticulating the same as security guards escorted the beleaguered coach.
Responding to the weekend incidents, the management of Chiefs this past Monday said it is ‘concerned and disturbed by an incident which happened on the 12/02/23 after a game we hosted against Union Flamengo Santos.’
“Our Coach Daniel Chicco Nare was threatened with violence and insulted by some of our supporters. Investigations on the matter are continuing and the team will take serious actions against the perpetrators of such an incident,” the press release from Chiefs management read.
“Mochudi Centre Chiefs is united against all forms of violence during and after it’s matches and the team will never tolerate any form of unruly behaviour from anyone who intends to soil the integrity of its brand.”
“The management would like to reassure ALL it’s supporters that they are working tirelessly to ensure that the quest to the elite league promotion is still on and that they should stay calm and be united in this quest.”
The weekend incidents would likely put a strain in the relationship between Nare and the Magosi family. Some time at the beginning of the year, the team management had to move in quickly to dispel rumours that Nare had quit the club. The rumours came just two weeks after Nare was appointed coach and before he could even oversee his first official game in charge of Magosi.
Since taking over, Nare has only been in charge for five games. In that period, Chiefs have won two games, lost another two and drawn one. Their next assignment will be away to URI Black Forest this coming Saturday.
