… but insists the reshuffling has nothing to do with the bad spell
GAZETTE REPORTER
Defending champions of the Botswana Premier League, Gaborone United (GU), have restructured their technical team after a winless run of three consecutive matches.
GU Communications and Marketing Manager, Herbert Letsebe, has confirmed that Assistant Coach Pontsho Moloi is now Head Coach and will be assisted by club legend Steven Maposa.
Benny Kgomela has been redeployed as General Manager (Technical) to oversee issues relating to the senior team, the women’s team, and developmental sides, among other technical matters.
Serious scrutiny
“Thapelo Mothusi remains General Manager (Administration) while Team Manager is Owe Mmolawa whose main duty is to deal with technical and players’ welfare,” Letsebe said.
The club came under serious scrutiny after failing to pick up maximum points in three consecutive matches. “The Money Machine,” as GU is affectionately known, registered their first loss of the season over the weekend to Orapa United in a 4-2 score line.
Even so, Letsebe asserted that the winless run was bound to happen because defending champions are always the target of most teams. “Every team we play against wants to prove a point against Gaborone United,” he said. “Another point is that every team wants to win the premier league.”
Second round
However, Letsebe denied that the new changes were prompted by the winless run, saying they went back to the drawing board to revisit their strategy because the second round has only just started.
“Our ambition still remains winning the league and going back to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League,” he asserted.
Also known as “Moyagoleele,” GU are currently second in log standings with 38 points collected from 17 matches. They trail log leaders Jwaneng Galaxy by 5 points.
Letsebe noted that the recent resignation of Joel Mogorosi as Second Assistant Coach and redeployment of former Head Coach Innocent Morapedi to the women’s team has not had any impact on the team and that the technical team is capable of bringing more positive results to the club.
New chapter
“We cannot attribute our slump in form to the departure of Mogorosi or Morapedi,” he said. “It is mere coincidence that we drew against Eleven Angels and Security Systems and then went down to Orapa United.”
GU were the first team to open a new chapter in the history Botswana football when they were crowned the inaugural 2008/09 beMobile Premiership champions, winning P1 million in prize money.
Thereafter the club fell into a league drought but won the Coca Cola FA Cup in 2012, the Mascom Top 8 twice in 2013 and 2015 and the Orange FA cup last season.