• Key players’ contracts expiring at the end of the season
• Others want out due to limited game time
LETLHOGILE MPUANG & BOINEELO RANKWAILA
Mascom Top 8 champions Jwaneng Galaxy are in danger of losing a number of their key players at the end of the 2016/17 BTC Premiership season, with contracts ready to elapse later this month (May), and several others wanting out. Gazette Sport has established.
The mining side has this season proven to be one of the strongest sides in the domestic league, clinching their maiden piece of sliverware (Mascom Top 8) and also finishing second in the league title race. At the start of the season, Galaxy had made their intentions clear when they hired Mike Sithole as the head coach and further registered a host of top established players including the likes of Thabang Sesinyi, Christopher Musonda and former Township Rollers captain Sekhana Koko to mention a few.
Despite such success for a club which gained promotion to the top flight in 2015, the picture is not as perfect as it seems. This publication has gathered that the club is at risk of losing players ahead of next season. “The management has held talks with a number of players whose contracts are set to expire at the end of the season, and to be honest negotiations have not been as successful as they had hoped for,” said a source close to the club.
According to information relayed to Gazette Sport, players are said to be unhappy with new offers that the management has tabled. “The issue here is that players are not happy with what they have been offered, and it does not appear as if there will be any agreements anytime soon. Imagine a player being offered a P1000 increase for his new contract?” the informer stated.
“Most of the big teams are monitoring the situation and the club is aware that some have even gone to the extent of negotiating with some of the players, so we will have to just wait and see what will happen next season,” gave the source.
This publication understands that Thato Leinanyane, Tebogo Sembowa, Gilbert Baruti, Lesego Lubinda, Thero Setsile, Sesinyi, Isaac Paeye, Morris Ruzivo and Pako Gaofose are some of those who will see their contracts end between May and December 2017.
Rollers are said to have held talks with Leinanyane as a possible replacement for Tshepo Motlhabankwe who is expected to leave the club at the end of the season. Setsile is strongly linked with a move to Orapa United, while Baruti, Gaofose and Lubinda are believed to have been frustrated with their long stay on the sidelines and will reportedly request to leave the club later this month.
Galaxy are also faced with the challenge of replacing two key members of their squad who are expected to hang their playing boots this season. Mascom Top 8 Player of the Tournament Boitumelo Mafoko has announced that he will call it quits at the end of the campaign. Musa Ohilwe is also believed to be another to halt his playing days.