• Lesego Galenamotlhale due a contract renewal
• Club also in talks with Lemponye Tshireletso
BONGANI MALUNGA
Mochudi Centre Chiefs are at risk of losing yet another vital player as their contract negotiations with Lesego Galenamotlhale are yet to yield a renewal. Galenamotlhale’s contract with the club has expired but he is still attached to the club through terms that render him a Chiefs player.
Like many Chiefs players in recent years, Galenamotlhale is playing for the club without a contract and the club faces the prospect of losing him on a free transfer in the next transfer window.
The club’s track record of negotiating contract renewals with players approaching free agency or the end of their contracts has been poor in recent years; they lost star players such as Galabgwe Moyana, Arnold Chaka, Elvis Meleka, Kekaetswe Moloi and Thabiso Khunwane without commanding transfer fees for them.
The aforementioned players left on free transfers and they were the core of their back to back title triumphs in 2012 and 2013 but the club could not convince them to stay. Chiefs’ management has however confirmed that they are in advanced talks to keep last season’s beMOBILE Premiership Player of the Season, Galenamotlhale to ward off interest from rival clubs.
The midfield dynamo was Chiefs’ driving force during last season’s title winning campaign, he also scooped the Supporters Player of the Season award to underline his importance to the club. Only Kaelo Kgaswane has made more club appearances at the Kgatleng giants than Galenamotlhale this season.
“I can confirm that contract talks with Lesego are at a very advanced stage. We have been negotiating with him for a while and we believe that those talks have progressed well. We are confident in our chances of keeping him,” said Chiefs’ Public Relations Officer Clifford Mogomotsi.
Another Chiefs player who is due a contract extension is league joint leading goal scorer Lemponye Tshireletso whose deal is set to expire at the end of the season. Tshireletso is on course to clinch back to back Green Boot (top scorer) awards at 14 goals so far this season.
He has been linked with an off season move to Gaborone United but Mogomotsi stated that they are in talks with him as well regarding a new deal. “The same applies for Tshireletso, we are at an advanced stage of contract talks with him, we are hopeful of keeping him,” Mogomotsi concluded.