Green Lovers� tortuous journey
James Kgosi | Friday April 24, 2015 14:02
Already, the pride of the village, Miscellaneous has made a quick return to the top flight, one season after relegation.
Green Lovers had to endure the loss of two players, through suicide and an accident, to snake their way to the top. The Serowe side is on the verge of making history as they have two games in the play-offs to clinch promotion.
The team has a date against Mogoditshane Fighters, the runners up in the First Division South to determine who makes the grade. Green Lovers was formed in 1982 by residents of Botalaote ward at a time when football was purely for entertainment purposes. Football fanatics followed the team in green as it slugged it out against other home teams of the time like Ocean Swallows FC, Arsenal FC and break away team; Tinto Peace Lovers .
The team’s training grounds at Makolo ward near the late Mma Notha (a prominent nurse at the time), was almost always filled to capacity as it dished out sublime soccer. Club president and coach, Onthusitse ‘Chips’ Kootswele, said the team affiliated to the Botswana Football Association (BFA) in 2007 campaigning in the lower divisions. He said it was not long before the team got its big break during the 2011/12 season where after securing the Second Division title, it won the promotional playoffs, which meant they moved to the First Division. On their way up, outperformed long time campaigners, Maphatshwa FC.
The team hit the ground running in the First Division and finished third in its maiden appearance with Orapa United the run away champions.
They followed it up with a fourth place finish before improving to second this campaign. It was a fairy tale run for Serowe teams as Miscellaneous was first, completing a rare one-two finish.
Kootswele praised his charges saying it was through dedication, determination and discipline that they made it this far. He said the club’s performance has surpassed the management’s expectations and objectives.
The mentor, who holds both the CAF C and B licence, has also undergone several training courses under the tutulage of Ben Koffie and Losika ‘Six’ Keatlholetswe doubles as BFA development coach and coordinates Serowe region.
“The team owes a great debt of gratitude to well wishers who support it financially and in kind, a gesture that helps the players to have something to eat during camps,” he said.
He credits local sports shop, MIDAS for coming handy in providing the team with kits and football boots as the bulk of the team members are unemployed youths who depend on the team. He said personal sacrifices helped as he used his combi to transport players to games without it honouring fixtures would have been difficult.
Green Lovers have produced two players who have since left to ply their trade with Premier League outfits. Gunners goalkeeper Wagarre Dikago and BDF XI winger, Kabelo Seakanyeng are two illustrous products of the Serowe side.
Although the team has done exceptionally well, its good run was not without sacrifices. Kootswele count the death of two of their instrumental players as a dark period in the history of the club. “One of our players, Mpho Mokgadinyana, who was instrumental in the team’s fight for a First Division berth committed suicide after the team made it. As if that was not enough, we lost another player in an accident after our away game to Amakhosi FC in our maiden campain in the First Division,”he said. Kootswele said had it not been for the overwhelming support they got from the football fraternity, he would have quit football. He cited the visit by FIFA Coordinator, Ashfor Mamelodi as soothing and helped in healing from their loss. Serowe is expected to rally behind the team in its quest to make it to the elite league.