BONGANI MALUNGA
Gaborone United’s management team has revealed that the professionalism and positive influence offered by Alphonse Modisaotsile and Joel Mogorosi were determining factors when the club extended their deals in recent weeks. Both players signed one year contract renewals to give the team a “veteran presence” as the club is currently in transition.
GU will enter the new season under a new coach in Innocent Morapedi, the presence of experienced players who will bridge the gap between the technical team and the playing staff is seen as a vital piece as Morapedi aims to hit the ground running.
Modisaotsile is the longest serving player in the squad and his ability to achieve longevity at one of the country’s biggest clubs is a testament to his mentality and discipline, the club feels that his presence will rub off on the younger players who are expected to take the club to greater heights according to GU’s General Manager Thapelo Mothusi.
“We looked at a number of factors while exploring the possibility of extending Alphonse and Joel’s contracts, their positive presence and influence were at the top of our check-list. Alphonse has been a loyal servant of the club, he has never let us down. He is an asset on and off the field. We could even use him in the technical team in the near future if an opportunity presents itself. Joel has also been in numerous professional set ups, his experience is valuable because he knows what it takes to succeed in different environments. He has always been around to offer a helping hand to the technical team in terms of guiding our young players, we are pleased to extend both players’ contracts,” Mothusi told Gazette Sport.
The club has also announced that defensive stalwart Tshepo Maikano has also signed a new one year deal. “Maikano is a national team player at his age, which is incredible as he played almost every game for us, he is reliable and we saw it fit to extend his stay,” Mothusi concluded.
GU made significant moves in the transfer window as they added the likes of Thato Kebue, Thatayaone Ramatlapeng and Karabo Phiri amongst others to bolster their hopes of challenging for trophies. Last season, before COVID-19 brought an abrupt end to local football, GU were in red hot form as they had gone six games unbeaten in all competitions.