“This has been a great season for us,” says BPL joint top goal scorer Thabang Sesinyi who has earned a spot on the national team for an AFCON qualifier appointment with Libya in Francistown next week alongside three other ‘Stars of the Galaxy’
GAZETTE REPORTER
Football giants Jwaneng Galaxy were crowned Champions of the Botswana Premier League (BPL) over the weekend following an impressive run throughout the 2022/23 season.
This came after they beat Eleven Angels 2-1 in the last game of the season that was played in Jwaneng on Saturday.
Jwaneng Galaxy amassed 72 points from 30 games played, recording 22 wins, 6 draws and 2 losses in the entire season.
Slow start
They made a comeback from a slow start and dethroned bitter rivals, Gaborone United who were at the summit of the log standings for a long time.
Galaxy head Coach Morena Ramoreboli declared himself happy with his team’s achievement this season even though they missed out on the FA Cup that they also hoped to win in order to fully meet their season target.
“It is not an easy campaign but we tried our best and I am happy that we won the league even though we got knocked out of the Orange FA Cup,” he said.
Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly
“This is something that we have to work on next season and have more players who can convert and score goals on any given day.”
“We need to be consistent and better than the way we were this season. I told my players that if they want to be at the level of Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly, they need to win everything and I believe we are heading there.
“We just need to be patient and utilise all the opportunities that we get. We are where we are because of the support we got and the most important aspect of the game is consistency.”
‘Stars of the Galaxy’
Galaxy had a more competitive squad at their disposal this season that included the likes of Marcel Papama, Gilbert Baruti, Thabang Moketsi, Wendall Rudath, Thabang Sesinyi and Thabo Leinanyane.
Perhaps as a measure of the stardom status of Galaxy, four of the ‘stars of the Galaxy’ have earned spots on the national team that is set to play an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Libya in Francistown next week.
The team has also produced as a BPL joint top goal scorer of the season in Thabang Sesinyi who says retaining his golden boot is a reflection of his hard work, consistency and growth in his after scoring 23 goals as did Omaatla Kebatho of Orapa United.
Golden Boot
“I am very glad to have won the Golden Boot again this season and I thank God for giving me the strength and courage to do well,” he told Gazette Sports.
“I am very happy with everyone in the team – from management, the technical team and my fellow players. This has been a great season for us.”
Africa’s best
Jwaneng Galaxy have gained automatic qualification for the next season of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League where they will compete against the best on the continent.
Under the guidance of Ramoreboli, Galaxy qualified for the group stages of the African Champions League for the first time in 2021–22 season.