After bouncing back into the top flight football in 2005 following a five-year hiatus in the First Division, Gaborone United (GU) seems to have learned a great lesson.
Their performance has been improving every season and currently they are on fire.
GU is challenging for top honours and is leading the league. The team has also upped their gears and is setting the record for other teams.
Two seasons ago, they held a glamorous prize giving which had hitherto been unheard, particularly from so-called big teams.
Just about two weeks ago, the team also held a glamorous gala dinner that also doubled as a fundraiser. Most high profile business figures graced the event.
A soccer club staging an event of that magnitude has never heard of in the country and the team, indeed, set a pace for most teams to follow.
At the gala dinner, GU announced that plans to privatize the team were at an advanced stage, with only a few minor details left to be ironed out.
It is reported that a well known
businessman will be given 51 percent of the team. The team even made it clear that they want to make the resolutions of last year’s Bosele Declaration a reality, not mere talk.
Privatisation appears to be like an insult to most Premier League teams who prefer to be run from the boots of their cars.
Several high profile soccer gurus, including Irvin Khoza who owns Orlando Pirates in South Africa, have, on several occasions, advised Premier League teams to do away with community ownership, and his words seem to be falling on deaf ears.
Most teams haven’t actually taken effective steps to privatise their teams and GU’s move is seen as a wake-up call.
On the other hand, Extension Gunners spokesperson, Cassim Dada, spoke highly of Gaborone United, saying that they have set a pace which most teams should follow.
“GU management is second to none in this country. If you look at their players they are not quality players like those in some of the teams in the Premier League but they deliver. The reason being that they are fortunate to have good management that has a cordial relationship. If all teams could do likewise then football of this country could go far,” he said.
Dada added that most teams are let down by internal politics that takes local football backwards.
He said by organising successful dinner and prize giving shows, the team had shown that it has vision.
Dada would not want to say much about the progress of Extension Gunners in regard to privatization, but only said a lot needs to be done.
Township Rollers Managing Director, Somereset Gobuiwang, also applauded GU, saying they are setting a good precedent.
He said if all teams could put their houses in order and bring results to the supporters, things would improve in most teams.
