Premier League rookies Letlapeng have made a promise to their fans that they will compete strongly in the upcoming season. In the previous campaigns, debutants have struggled to keep up with the pace of life in the elite league but the Ramotswa-based have other plans.
According to the club’s chairman, Sydney Magagane, though they do not have a strong financial muscle their plans is to bring in players who would sustain their position.
“We know what to expect from the top league. We’ve learned from other clubs which struggled upon promotion. At the moment we’re trying to bring players who have experience in the top flight. It is important that we send a strong message across in the opening games. We’re currently negotiating with a number of players but we cannot reveal their names until the launch next week,” Magagane told this publication on Friday morning.
A visit at the Letlapeng training session in the past week identified nine players who are already training with the club. Phenyo Magosi, Patrick Mathaba, Larona Maotwe (all BMC), Township Rollers’ trio of Baboloki Setlogolo, Michael Pillar and Justice Dongwana, former Notwane youngster Ronald Kefilwe, former ECCO City Greens’ goalkeeper Tumelo Mashakola and former Gaborone United striker Wellington Maposa are some of the players who have already found their new home in Ramotswa.
Maposa is famous for the crucial goal he scored against Mochudi Centre Chiefs at a packed Molepolole Stadium which won GU the league back in 2009. Since then he has struggled to make a name for himself and it remains to be seen if he still has the killer instinct.
It is said that Letlapeng were also interested in Mpho Kgaswane and Mathews Moruti from Gaborone United but they declined to the move.
“Yes we were interested in Moruti but his heart was somewhere else. As for Kgaswane his wage bill was going to be a problem for us so we decided not to bring him on board. GU were willing to give them to us on loan but life has to go on,” said Magagane. The club’s boss pointed out that they are an ambitious side which would like to see their supporters happy in the coming season. He said that the Ramotswa community has long wanted to see their side playing in top flight.
“We want to do better than our neighbours (Killer Giants) when they were in the Premier League. We would like to see people from Ramotswa rallying behind us when the league kicks off. We have registered Otse as our home ground but it seems the stadium will be ready at a later stage. So we’re likely to play our games in Lobatse,” he said.
Magagane praised transport magnate Seabelo Tlhaselo who has helped them in establishing an office in the village.
“We have a fully furnished office and all we’re waiting for is for the telephone and fax lines to be connected. Then the office will be operational. We’re grateful for what he (Tlhaselo) has done as an elder from the village,” he said.
Though they have reports that Tlhaselo intends to take over the club as the main sponsor, Magagane said that they have not been approached in that regard. Tlhaselo once sponsored another Ramotswa side, Mokgosi Young Fighters in the late 1990s when they were playing in the elite league. The club was so successful that they even went on to play in the Coca-Cola Cup final in 1997 which they lost 2-0 to Notwane.
