Chadibe North FC vows to stay afloat
Chakalisa Dube | Friday December 18, 2020 08:07
The club gained promotion to the country’s second biggest football league recently after winning the Division One playoffs featuring teams from Letlhakane, Francistown and Maun. The playoffs were held in Letlhakane. Chadibe are from the Francistown Regional Association (FRAFA).
The club, which was established in 2015, has enjoyed spectacular rise to recognition. Chadibe campaigned in the division for two seasons before gaining promotion to Division One. Their second season in the division ultimately led them to the playoffs, which resulted in their promotion to the first division. The club qualified for the playoffs after being declared division one champions following a decision by the Botswana Football Association (BFA) to end the league before time in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Yesterday Emmanuel Thekiso, who is club’s chairperson, said that the Chadibe’s telling track record is testimony that they should not be taken for granted in the first division. “We are definitely going to reinforce the team. We are at a stage where we cannot avoid the need for reinforcements. We will be a force to reckon with in the league and other teams should not underestimate us. We are a very organised side on and off the pitch,” he said.
Entrepreneur Senzo Nyathi formed the team and later roped in Thekiso to assist in running it, owing to his vast experience as a football administrator. Thekiso was at one point secretary at the now defunct BMC. That was during the club’s days in the premier league. He is also known for running a successful festive season tournament in Borolong village. “The main reason behind the formation of the club was to keep youth in the village busy in order to deter them from engaging in various social ills. We also wanted to unify the residents of the village and its environs, as well as provide them with constant entertainment. As a result we felt forming a soccer club was the ideal thing to do,” Thekiso explained. He added that the team aims to push for a spot in the premier league in the near future.
“Our main aim now is to settle in the first division and find a suitable sponsor or strategic partners. Once we have found a sponsor or strategic partners we will push for promotion. We cannot fight for promotion without the solid sponsors or strategic partners. That would be a recipe for disaster,” he said. Thekiso said that the club would start talks with potential sponsors late this month. Thekiso said the club’s supporters also played a pivotal role in the clubs promotion. He said that they have attended the club matches in numbers, which served as a moral booster to the players. The club, coached by Zibani Joseph, boasts players such as former TAFIC’s Samuel Phiri and Allen Diwere. “The players were also very committed and disciplined. That is why we gained promotion to the elite league.”