Black Forest Complete Ownership Change
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday October 25, 2021 16:00
Local sports brand, URI Sports has now taken total control of the Mankgodi based side and it is now called URI Black Forest. Speaking to Monitor Sport, the club’s director and chairman Mompati Ditiro said URI Sports has been an investor at the club and were proposed by the general membership to take control of the club. “We are at a point of transition now, to determine the division of shares in the now formed company and the general membership which is the society. The society is still part of the team.
It is in fact the society who called for URI to take total control of the club since the society is not profit making and hence was struggling with financial demands of running the club. URI has been investors in the club for quite some time now and now owns the club,” he said. Ditiro further said the changes at the club have brought upon a professional setup, as the club administration has been boosted by personnel. “We have long started the process but it was in 2020 when we made the final strides to hand over the club to URI Sports. You see, there has been a lot advantages to these. At the moment we have a fully fledged office equipped with staff. We now have marketing officers, graphic designers amongst others. Even our social media presence has improved a lot and it is because the club can now afford to.
This will in the long run help grow the club as a whole because the off field duties are now being taken care off by qualified people. The club had before the transition of power had only one asset which is the playing ground but at the moment we have a fully fledged office,” he said. Magoleng, as Forest is affectionately called, will be playing in the second tier football league for the third consecutive season.
The team will be facing promotion contenders, Mochudi Centre Chiefs in a high profile season opener on November 13. The club has roped in experienced striker, Terrence Mandaza amongst other high profile signings that include, former Zebras duo, Michael James and Ontse Ntesa. “Our target is promotion, we have not made a lot of changes in terms of the playing staff. We have kept Donald Letlole as the team’s coach but we are in the process of roping in another coach to work alongside Letlole.
I cannot divulge the details on the incoming coach because we are yet to conclude talks but we will announce once we are done,” Ditiro said