Just a few weeks ago Lobatse side, Lobtrans Gunners, were embroiled in a bitter dispute with one of their former players, Kenanao ‘Floh’ Kgetholetsile. Gunners alleged that they gave him money to rejoin them only for Kgetholetsile to turn his back on the team and joined BMC. It has since come to the attention of Sunday Standard that Kgetholetsile’s case is just a tip of the iceberg and there are more shocking developments going on, especially in the Premier League.
The Sunday Standard can confidently reveal that a certain well known official (name withheld) of a top team has a tendency to lure players to his team by physically giving them money upon verbal agreement. But once the players decide otherwise he threatens them with all sorts of intimidations and demands his money back. The Sunday Standard can also reveal that, just recently, the official tried to recruit a popular player from one of the popular teams. The official gave the player a lump sum of money (figure known to Sunday Standard) without the knowledge of the player’s team. The player has since turned his back on the official of the team and the official is struggling to get back his money because there is no proof. The player is now under a barrage of verbal attacks from the team official and is demanding his money with immediate effect. The matter has since come to the attention of the player’s team and a war is reported imminent between the two teams.
According to one of the sources close to the affected team, it is only a matter of time before the issue erupts into physical confrontations and fist cuffs.
“This is a serious matter and the team that was due to lose its player is taking the case seriously. They want to expose the amateurish and dirty dealings of the official. It also seems that it is not the first time the concerned official did the same. It is like all along the official has been enticing many players and even the technical teams by dangling money in front of them. Do not be surprised in one of these days when you hear that a strange thing has happened in our local soccer circles.”
Another source, who preferred to remain anonymous, decried the current circumstances surrounding soccer circles in Botswana. He said even though the local soccer is growing, there are too many negative developments as well.
“I think we are now developing a mafia style that is common in some leagues around the world. It is definitely wrong for the team official to give a player such a lot of money without a proof and eventually verbally attacking him. I think as the media you need to bring these things to light so that people out there can see how rotten our soccer is getting. The Botswana Football Association should also device ways of tackling this kind of unbecoming behaviour bedeviling our soccer. These recent developments are just the tip of an iceberg and there is a lot more happening in soccer circles,” the source said.
In another transfer development, former Tafic striker, Nicolas Gora, seems to be on his way to high spending Mochudi Centre Chiefs. Gora would however face stiff competition from fellow strikers like Mpho Mabogo, Jerome Ramatlhakwane and Pontsho Moloi. Nevertheless, having finished as one of the leading goal scorers last season, Gora might not have a problem to be the first choice striker. Tafic, on the other hand, might find themselves in trouble this season because they have lost another valuable striker, Robert Tamba, to Ecco City Green. Township Rollers are also reported to be in possession of Chiefs left back, Boniface Makolo’s registration book. At the time of going to press, Makolo had not started training because Chiefs were playing hide and seek.
Meanwhile, Rollers have lost their promising Zambian striker, Edwin Kamwinbwa, to rivals BDF XI. Had it not been for the spate of injuries that troubled him, Kamwimbwa could have made a huge impact. Others, however, see his movement as a way of running away from tight competition from another Zambian, Bernard Simakwenzi.
Kamwimbwa will make a combination with another Zambian from Lobtrans Gunners, System Mubi. Unconfirmed reports have it that there might be a surprise move for one of the top foreign strikers to Township Rollers from one of the top teams before the end of today (Sunday). The concerned striker is reportedly frustrated because his promises have not been met.
