Mochudi’s once sensational football giants Centre Chiefs, affectionately known as Magosi, are no longer interested in buying premier league status.
The team has changed their stance to return to the elite league in the coming season. The Kgatleng Giants were relegated two seasons ago aiming to return to the league either by automatic promotion from the last season or by buying status to acquire back their premier league status.
The First Division status did not please many supporters and there was pressure on management to find ways with which the team could return back to their former glory.
The team’s executive committee was to explore ways to reclaim their status. That is returning to the premiership and please their supporters. So the idea of buying or swap players with another premier league team’s status came about.
The team’s public relations officer (PRO) Pollen Makgane has said: “We have decided to work on structuring the team instead of buying premier league status and returning to the top league without proper systems in place.”
Chiefs presence in the league was believed to be adding value to the league more so that they attracted supporters in droves to their matches. The team’s supporters usually spice their matches with choirs that are often spontaneously composed inspired by some incidents during league matches.
“We had the intention of buying the status, but we have since denounced the idea as not worth it, we will rather prepare ourselves and qualify for the Botswana Premier League (BPL), not by virtue of buying status but in the field of play” explained Makgane.
“At the moment we are busy resuscitating our structures which are almost done with putting them in place. The team is also working on meeting the requirements of club licensing. We are preparing a solid force that will compete and qualify for us in to the country’s top league,” quipped Makgane.
He added that the reasons behind the change of heart is simply because they have to work their way to the top. He said: “We are home to build and work on ourselves, and we do not want a situation where we buy status and later return back to first division hence the need to build up and go solid.”
Chiefs executive committee want to qualify a team that is ready to compete and give others the necessary competition because the team will also be eying to win silverware in the top flight league.
“Good things are coming. We are confident that our work will pay off and this will reflect in the team’s results,” opined Makgane.
Chiefs once dominated the elite league winning championships and league competitions. In their way down to the national first division league the team faced few challenges, financial problems, administration problems, divided leadership and ownership. Players and coaches were often going for months without receiving salaries and this led to some players intentionally missing matches because they wanted to force the management to pay them before they resume duty again.
During the tough times Chiefs like many of the premier league teams tried many times to turn the fortunes of the club around but failed hence they were eventually relegated to lower division.
