Sesinyi signs for Baroka FC

LETLHOGILE MPUANG

Orapa United and Zebras striker Thabang Sesinyi has signed for South Africa’s newly promoted Premier Soccer League side Baroka FC, while his teammate Onkabetse Makgantai failed to impress.
The two players both joined United last season, Sesinyi joined after impressing during trials at the start of the campaign, while Makgantai joined in January from Nico United.
The duo proved an instant hit for the ‘league chasing’ Ostriches as Sesinyi went on to bang in 13 league goals, and both finding the back of the net in the Mascom Top 8 final in an inspirational 3-1 come from behind win against Township Rollers, hence receiving immediate calls to Peter Butler’s national team.
It was particularly at this year’s edition of the COSAFA Cup where the two went onto leave many tongues wagging, as they were pivotal in the Zebras reaching the finals of the competition, despite losing controversially to neighbors South Africa in the end.
As revealed by this publication last week, the pair has been spending sometime on trials at Bagaga (as Baroka FC is affectionately known), where specifically, Sesinyi was reported to have impressed the team’s technical staff.
After just days of negotiations, the two parties finally struck a deal this past Saturday for an unreported fee that will see the player become the second Motswana to sign for a PSL outfit in this current transfer window, behind Lebogang Ditsile of Highlands Park.
A few minutes after signing Sesinyi broke the news to Gazette Sport. “The deal is done, I have finally signed for Baroka on a two year deal,” he said from SA.
The 23-year old hard working forward, however could not reveal much details, only citing that he could not wait to get his career underway at his new club. “Let’s talk about that next week. At the moment I cannot wait to get started, to get a feel of this PSL teams in friendly games first,” the player said briefly.
Sesinyi’s signing makes him the first foreign player to join the NFD champions ahead of their debut in the PSL. Despite reports at the weekend stating that United and Baroka were still locked in negotiations over Makgantai, Gazette Sport can reliably divulge that the player failed to impress the SA club. A source in SA said the player was told to return back home at the start of last week.
“Makgantai did not make it, he was long told to return home at the start of last week. The technical team was really keen on Sesinyi instead,” said a source close to the developments.