‘Freedom’ looms for Seven, Odinga
Larona Makhaiza | Saturday February 25, 2023 06:00
The two signed for Equatorial Guinea's Malabo Kings after their impressive displays at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco last year July. But things did not go according to plan, which saw the duo return prematurely.
During a Botswana Football Association (BFA) press conference this week, the association's general manager, Monnakgotla Mojaki said Tholakele was having trials at South African side, Mamelodi Sundowns, while Gaborone United are running the rule over Mochawe. “I did communicate with Sundowns to ask them about the possibility of having Tholakele and they confirmed that she is training with them. They also said they have engaged the Malabo team with a view of discussing the settlement, kind of buying her out of the contract,” Mojaki said.
Equally, GU will engage the Malabo side in order to 'free' Mochawe. Mojaki said they hope the GU and Sundown deals materialise for the players so that they get back to playing football. After the two players' impressive performances at the AWFCON finals and with many teams battling for their signatures, it was the Equatorial Guinea side which won the race for their signatures. But things soon went south as ‘Seven’ and ‘Odinga’ complained about late payments and poor accommodation, which saw them cut short their stay in Malabo.
BFA CEO, Mfolo Mfolo said the association tried to intervene but failed in its mediation efforts. “When Malabo wrote to us about Seven and Odinga, we then called officials of Prisons and Township Rollers so that we could hear their side of the story but there was a disconnect with how all parties were telling their story,” Mfolo stated.
“Now that Malabo knows the duo can't play, we have tried to ask for clemency for them and we failed because the man in Malabo knows what he is doing and he has got the power, the power is with him, and he can take the issue to the FIFA DRC (Dispute Resolution Chamber),” Mfolo said. He hopes that Malabo does not take the matter to FIFA and asks for compensation from the duo.