BONGANI MALUNGA
During the peak of Mochudi Centre Chiefs’ supremacy, they had a squad full of leaders who all combined to make the club a force in local football. The quartet of Pontsho Moloi, Lesego Galenamothale, Kekaetswe ‘Mara’ Moloi and Joel Mogorosi formed the core of the club, each player had incredible leadership qualities and they fulfilled their roles to the fullest, their common goal was winning trophies with an emphasis on winning in style and instilling a winning culture which made Magosi one of the elite clubs in the country.
Between them, the players won a total of 13 trophies at Mochudi Centre Chiefs, their presence at Magosi coincided with the club’s most successful era. It was not surprising that with each player’s departure, Magosi started going on a downward spiral and the club eventually got relegated.
Years later, the above mentioned quartet has now linked up again at capital city giants Gaborone United, the club is currently in a rebuilding phase but they have shown flashes of a team capable of competing at the top if they get the right pieces in place.
Although their arrival did not bring instant results, their presence looks set to help the young team reach greater heights, after an indifferent start to the season, the club is now only five points behind log leaders Jwaneng Galaxy.
With Pontsho Moloi at the helm on a caretaker basis, the club is currently on a six match winning streak in league and cup games, their best run in years, in that spell they have scored 10 goals and conceded only one goal in regulation time. They have also kept five clean sheets in the winning streak, GU’s impressive run also includes two away wins at the notoriously intimidating Itekeng Stadium, a 2-0 win in the BTC Premiership and a penalty shootout victory in the Orange FA Cup
Pontsho’s meteoric rise as a coach is not surprising because he has played under some of the greatest tactical minds the country has ever seen, he learned his trade from the likes of Mike Sithole, Stanley Tshosane, Major David Bright, Madinda Ndlovu and Veselin Jelusic, to name a few. The lessons he has learned over the years have made him the coach he is today.
However, despite the countless mentors he has, Piro is his own man, he implements his own ideas and his short stint at Extension Gunners showed that he is not one to be conservative even when he faced teams that were better placed, this approach allows players to express themselves freely with no restrictions and it appears to be working wonders at Moyagoleele.
With Piro in charge on the dugout, he can rest easy knowing that he can call upon his former teammates to lead the dressing room. In Mogorosi, he has an attacking player with a wealth of experience who can still score at a prolific level as he proved last season, he has chipped in with important goal contributions when fit. Mogorosi’s dressing room presence brings a calming and exemplary aura that sets the tone for a professional approach for the younger players, as a former national team captain he serves as an inspirational figure who a lot of players can aspire to emulate.
The coach has yet another trusted marshal in Mara Moloi, the striker is a proven scorer in the league and he has recorded double figure goal tallies in almost every club he has played for, he can still score goals at the highest level whenever called upon. He acts as a guiding presence for the club’s forwards as he knows how to manoeuvre in the box and he can pass down his knowledge to the young strikers. A hattrick on the opening day of the season against Gilport Lions showed that he can still bang in the goals when provided with quality service, he has also scored important goals as well this season, a recent goal in the Gaborone Derby victory over Township Rollers served as a reminder that he can still score in the big games as well.
Lastly, Galenamothale earned a reputation as one of the best central midfielders in the country during his prime, he ran the Magosi engine room and was the architect of the club’s moves as he set the wheels in motion for Magosi’s forward forays. As an experienced member of the team, his task is to take the younger midfielders under his wing and help them become more reliable in terms of retaining possession, distributing the ball well and also chipping in with an odd goal.
The reunion of the championship winning quartet may not guarantee immediate trophies for Moyagoleele but the younger playing staff will get the best free education from players who have proved themselves on a consistent level. While aiming to make a huge leap into title contention, they will have the helping hand of the experienced group to guide them to the next level.