The Chairperson of Eleven Men Football Club in Mmopane, Stephen Ncaagae, has said soccer team management in Botswana is a big challenge, given financial constraints that go with it.
Ncaagae said this during the groundbreaking ceremony, marking the beginning of construction of a wall around the playground last Saturday.
He said that, as management, they are often forced to ‘steal’ money from their families’ coffers to run the community teams. This, he said, is the reason why many community teams always fail.
Eleven Men has, however, stood tests of time as shown by its being the first team in the Kweneng District to have its playing ground erected and bordered by a wall. “What we are trying to do is for the nation. It emphasises our vision, which is to represent the Kweneng District in the league. We have set ourselves a period of five years to be in the Premier league. We aim to be in the First Division within two years and from there we will strive for the elite. I am optimistic that we will even secure a sponsorship,” he said.
Ncaagae said that they have a handful of skilled players who can take them places. He said they are not only a recruiting team but they do have a development team from which some bigger teams get stars. Ncaagae said when they started the team in 1994 they had only 11 players, hence the name. They nonetheless managed to pass to a higher level in 1998. They went for play-offs and financial constraints disadvantaged them to go to yet another level.
In all these years, the players were so committed that they even bought their own gear. The team’s patron, Ben Moloko, advised the team that they should turn football into business. A businessperson himself, Moloko said they should find a bigger plot for the grounds where various sports codes can be housed. He further advised them that they should brand such things as face clothes with their logo. They should do the same with bottled water, flags, and other household equipment. Kobe Trading Company, the card dealers in Mogoditshane near Mopane, donated a playing kit and other practice gear and equipment.
The area Member of Parliament, Mmoloki Raletobana, promised to part with some money to boost the construction of the wall. He officiated at the event and even started the ground- breaking event. Several invited guests also pledged some money towards the construction of the wall.
The event was followed by an interesting soccer game between the team’s retired players and the media team comprising sports reporters from various media houses. The latter walloped the former 6-4.
