Peerless Selolwane calls time on eventful career

Mqondisi Dube | Friday July 11, 2014 12:12

Mmegi Sport: How did it all start?

Selolwane:  It was written in the stars that I would play football. My mother is a huge follower of the game. She had to have a son who plays football. Football for me was something I was meant to do. I come from a football family.

Mmegi Sport: When did you start playing soccer?

Selolwane: I used to kick the ball around when I was young, but it really started at Ben Thema Primary School. I played for an Under-12 team called Liverpool at that time. It was coached by one Manzini and I hear he is in Lobatse and am looking for him. It has been too long since I saw him. From there, I went to Manchester, which was a Notwane development team.

We were very naughty and (David) Bright (former Zebras coach) used to remind me how big my ears were when I was young.  Then I took a break due to my asthmatic condition. I bounced back when I went to Gaborone Senior Secondary.

I then signed for Nyagabgwe, which is now known as UB Hawks. We are the one who changed the name from Nyagabgwe and we don’t know why it was called so. It was in the Second Division. Spokes Gaborone was involved with the team. I hear he came with a lot of balls (since they did not have any) and told them he wanted to coach the team.

Mmegi Sport: How did your Gaborone United move come about?

Selolwane: A childhood friend of mine, Lebogang Moruti (Chandy Moruti’s brother) was recruited to play for GU, but did not want to go there alone.  His brother used to play for GU. One day he told me we were not going to Nyagabgwe, but GU. This was in 1995 when I was at high school. I played for GU without a contract until 2000. Then I went to college in the United States and played football until I moved to Denmark.

Mmegi Sport: Then you had already played in three different countries, how can you compare the experiences?

Selolwane: It added a lot of value. Football in Botswana then was about playing for fun. In the States, I had to perform both academically and on the field. In Denmark, for the first time I was playing for results. Scandinavian football has flair and is very technical. It improved my passing and movement. In the US, there are so many breaks during the game so as to strategise. But football is fluid so it is difficult to leave the game to the coach alone.

Mmegi Sport: Why did you leave Denmark?

Selolwane: The club was bankrupt. I came here for a short break then went to Chicago Fire in the MLS. When I returned, me and my friend, Moruti who was now working for Mascom organised a social tournament in 2002. I broke my leg during that tournament, almost a career ending injury.

What I find weird is that people will say this guy claims he is big and does not want to play Sunday soccer with us. But football is my job and it is how I feed myself. You can contribute to such social tournaments in many different ways. It does not have to be money, it can be time.

Mmegi Sport: How can you describe your stay in South Africa?

Selolwane: Santos was a good introduction to the South Africa game for me. Most people will remember me as the Santos’ striker. I was the club’s top scorer and I made the Kick-Off team of the year. I was at the GSS Grounds (where he broke his leg) when the Kick-Off guys called me to say I was the Kick-Off player of the year. I went to (Jomo) Cosmos for a short time. My best time came at Ajax where I played a different role. I was not an out and out striker. When winger, Franklyn Cale was injured, the coach asked me to play there. I said why not, give me any position even as a goalkeeper. I scored on debut as we beat Bloemfontein Celtic 2-1. I moved to the right and then to the centre of midfield for the rest of my time at Ajax.

Mmegi Sport: Talking about Zebras, you were seen as a ring leader when it came to speaking out on players’ welfare..

Selolwane: (cuts in) Ring-leader. You make it sound like I was a bad fellow... That is how you see it just like everybody else at the time.

Mmegi Sport: Ok, you were seen as being vocal ...

Selolwane: Thank you. Now you are saying it right. Fine, I was a ring-leader, because the things they (Botswana Football Association) were doing were wrong. It was about welfare issues. You cannot tell me I do not have a comfortable bed at home, therefore I should not complain when I sleep on the floor. You are not doing me a favour.

If you do not tell the people the truth and give the impression that you are happy when you are not, then it is wrong. So you cannot call me a ring-leader for being vocal about things which were necessary.  It was never about enriching ourselves, but a cry to improve things. We have to learn from the rest of the world. It does not make sense for me to go and play professional football yet I do not help my country move forward. I remember I asked one official why we wore the same jersey over and over again when we trained three times a day. I told him even at GU, we never had to wear the same jersey over and over.

Mmegi Sport: But do you think the authorities were listening?

Selolwane: Did it ever change? It took years after they (authorities) and you calling me a ring-leader. But it is all in the past. It is a learning process. We have made great steps but we are still far behind.

Mmegi Sport: Do you feel you stepped on some people’s toes with your approach?

Selolwane: I stepped on too many toes but there are things which are right regardless of who says them. Right is right, wrong is wrong. That is life. You cannot be petty because someone differs with you on an opinion that benefits the majority.

Mmegi Sport: What can you say about the current state of affairs (in local football)?

Selolwane: I have not been part of it for two years...

Mmegi Sport: But from where you are, are you happy?

Selolwane: From where I stand, I am blind. I do not want to see.

Mmegi Sport: And the overall administration?

Selolwane: I want to see more, I feel we deserve more. Regionally, we have been influential, it would be nice to match the administrative side with results on the pitch.

Mmegi Sport: Will you seek a leadership position in sport one day? There has been criticism that few former players venture into sports administration?

Selolwane:  No that is not one of my ambitions. Not now. My focus is to discover another Dipsy. If I am a fulltime administrator, may be I will focus on policy matters, but that will not give me the satisfaction that I want.

 Mmegi Sport: You have been following developments on the constituency tournaments issue, what is your opinion?

Selolwane: I have an opinion, but I am not going to say it just yet.

Mmegi Sport: Who are the best players you played with and coaches you worked under?

Selolwane: Mogogi Gabonamong is the best player I have played with. All the coaches I worked under taught me different philosophies.

Mmegi Sport: What were your worst moments in football?

Selolwane: The worst are many. But the one that stands out was when I was made to feel I was not good enough by a coach in an Under-20 friendly against Zambia in Gaborone. I was put in with five minutes to go and withdrawn with a minute left. The guy who replaced me did not even touch the ball. I asked myself, was I that bad? The game was tied at 4-4.  But it is such moments that inspired me to push myself. I think I touched the ball only once. I wondered what I had done to be taken out. You cannot say it is a tactical change. If you want to wind down the clock, why not remove someone who had been on the pitch longer

Mmegi Sport: Did you feel useless after this?

Selolwane: I left camp that same day. I called my mother and she asked what was wrong. I told her to come as soon as possible and I knew she would be curious and she came right away. When she arrived, I just threw the bags into the car and when she asked if I was not in camp, I told her to drive off. I told her what had happened but she was hurt I had left camp.

They called the following morning and she told them I had gone to Maun. Then the following day, I was at Panda (National Stadium Stand) supporting Zambia. I had some loud crickets and I celebrated each time Zambia hit the net. You know the naughty things small boys do.

Mmegi Sport: What were your best moments?

Selolwane: The best moment is playing for Zebras. There is no better feeling than walking into the pitch knowing the country depends on you. In terms of game significance, it has to be the Bafana Bafana game (COSAFA Castle Cup 1999 when he scored a wonder goal against Brian Baloyi). But really, my best game is when we lost 2-1 to Mozambique in Maputo many years back with a team that had Barcos Mosimanegape, Pio Paul, Tumie Duiker and Seabo Gabanakgosi in an AFCON qualifier. One Mozambique player punched me as I was giving him a torrid time. He got a red card and he did not even care.

The funny part about the stadium is that there was a changing room further away from the pitch. The other dressing room was nearby. At halftime when we were leading, there was debate in our camp as to where to go for our pep talk.

Others insisted we go up the stairs to the other dressing room, which was a bit far. Imagine going up and when we came back, the Mozambique guys were already waiting for us on the pitch. Bo ‘Tico Tico’ (Mozambique player) and his colleagues were just looking at us and probably laughing. When the second half started, we conceded the equaliser immediately.

Mmegi Sport: What was the smallest or biggest pay cheque you got?

Selolwane: It is confidential. At GU, I did not have a contract because there was no need for one. Only foreigners and guys from out of town received something. The only thing which was there was the blue (registration) book. But I was well taken care of.

Mmegi Sport: Outside football who is Dipsy?

Selolwane: I would like to think I am reserved. I wish people do not always recognise me. At times, you want your space. It is nice to go to places where people do not know you. I am some one who loves family. I intend to be a family man one day. For me, being loved unconditionally is key.

The love that I got in the last 20 years has been maintained by success. Some would not talk to me or stop to greet me if it had not been for soccer. At times, it is not the love you want. You want constant appreciation.

But in general, Batswana have loved me as one of their own. I can only say thank you to them. That is why I am having this testimonial mostly for them to enjoy the moments. They will get to see me with bo Sox (Tshepiso Molwantwa), Masego (Nchingane), bo Pontsho (Moloi).

Mmegi Sport: How do you spend your time?

Selolwane: I love music (hip hop, traditional and RnB) and watch television. I am for Buy Botswana. I love our way of doing things, especially music. As for food, I used to love lasagne but at the moment I have none. Anything good goes.

Mmegi Sport: How different does South Africa treat celebrities compared to Botswana?

Selolwane: South Africa is different. In Botswana, we say there are no celebrities. When someone recognises you in South Africa, they come over and greet you.

But in Botswana, someone will say “hey monna come here I want to see you”.  I just humble myself but I do ask myself how does it work. When I see someone I idolise, I go to them and appreciate them.

But here it is the other way. What is funny is that when Doctor Khumalo comes here, you do not say “hey Doctor Khumalo, come here”. But because it is me, I guess that is how we do things. I think as a young nation, we learn, some of these things are new to us. We will improve with time, it is not too much of a problem.

Fact File 

Full name: Diphetego Selolwane

Date of birth: 27/01/78

Height: 1.75m (5 ft 9 in)

Club career

1995- 2000 Gaborone United 

2000 HarrisDStove State University, USA

2001 Saint Louise University, USA

2001- 2002 Vejle BK, Denmark

2002- 2005 Chigago Fire, USA

2005- 2007 Santos, South Africa 

2007 Jomo Cosmos, South Africa 

2008- 2010 Ajax Cape Town, South Africa

2010- 2012 Supersport United, South Africa

2012- 2014 Pretoria University South Africa