The plight of a rookie
Lesang Maswabi | Saturday April 27, 2024 06:00
This could be attributed to a lack of exposure to being academically challenged in the early part of their schooling.
Historically, it has been the latter part that has proved to be the major stumbling block for most of the talented and promising youth whose dazzling skills would have either been delayed or simply led to their careers being cut short. Kagisano ‘Sketoh’ Mekgwe, a 26-year-old from Moshupa has long been playing football from his primary days. Following the completion of his Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations at Moeding College in 2016, Mekgwe would preoccupy himself with various after-school youth activities, from sports to performing arts.
This was after he had unfortunately missed out on continuing with further studies since he had performed below the required 38 points grade that qualifies one to enrol for tertiary education. In 2017, Mekgwe joined the Magotlhwane band, Mlesho Kaione Band, as a dancer and would interchangeably dabble as a goalkeeper at the then Second Division team Magotlhwane Young Brothers, now Magotlhwane United.
It was clear from then that Mekgwe’s career path had been finally defined, as he would strictly focus on football when he joined Mankgodi Seville Spurs in 2019 before he was poached by Happy Hearts of White City in Gaborone for the 2019-2020 season. He would later, retrace his steps to Magotlhwane at the beginning of the 2021-2022 season.
For the duration of the 2022-2023 season, the lanky and agile goalkeeper had turned into a free agent plying his trade at Thamaga FC before going for trials at Premier League’s VTM, Security Systems and BDF XI. By the end of January 2024, Mekgwe signed with another bottom-of-the-Premier League team, Holy Ghost FC, who had earlier loaned him to Thamaga FC.
Sometime in late November 2019, Mekgwe was almost destined to join Macau FC in China whereupon his mother paid $3, 000 (the equivalent of P33, 000) to a local soccer players’ agent called Samuel Ramosoeu, who had facilitated the transfer. That was until COVID-19 struck, which would then invariably keep the deal on hold.
Meanwhile, Ramosoeu, who also represents the Pro-Performance Sport in Johannesburg, South Africa, would later arrange a month’s training for Mekgwe in January 2022. According to Mekgwe, Ramosoeu had given him a choice for a refund of the $3,000 or to continue with the transfer deal once the COVID travel restrictions had been lifted in China in December 2022.
Mekgwe would, however, agree with the latter, only for him to ask the agent that they delay the move until the end of the 2023 season to give him a chance to improve his profile by getting more game-time. He said he hopes to secure a video clip from Btv, which is the Premier League's broadcaster. Whereas theZebras’ idol and legend Diphetogo 'Dipsy' Selolwane did not have to go the long route to be discovered, since he began his career in Gaborone where he turned out for Gaborone United as a teenager, the likes of Mekgwe had to traverse a series of channels.