The Day GU Missed On Six Rising Stars
Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Monday February 8, 2016 14:27
This was revealed by former GU official Kelesitse Gilika, now with Gilport Lions, on Thursday evening at the memorial service of one of the stars of that Under-17 side, Thero ‘Relax’ Gaadingwe, who was laid to rest in Gaborone on Friday morning. He died of heart related disease while camping at Kgomokasitwa last week.
According to Gilika, GU could had easily signed all of Diphetogo ‘Dipsy’ Selolwane, Thero ‘Relax’ Gaadingwe, Lebogang ‘Ace’ Moruti, Noah ‘Stooge’ Kareng, Desmond Hambira, and Seabo ‘Sea-Bee’ Gabanakgosi literally for a song had it not been for the indecisiveness of the then GU chairman and legend, Horatio Mahloane.
According to Gilika, he presented the issue of P2,000 signing on fee to Mahloane and the fact that all of the six were willing and ready to sign for GU, but Mahloane complicated matters by demanding that first the club should give P2,000 to each of their already existing squad members, before spending further money on the new recruits.
Within days however Kareng and Hambira signed for Notwane, and Gabanakgosi with Township Rollers. It was not all gloom though as the Reds managed to secure Moruti, Gaadingwe and Selolwane.
It was in the twilight of his career that Kareng eventually signed for GU for one season, but he was already past his best then. According to Gilika, it was actually the late Gaadingwe who alerted him about the enormous talent that was Dipsy then.
Gilika said he took the opportunity to talk with the boys after they had all driven to his house in his car. But it was evident Gilika had not heard of Dipsy before as the young lad did not feature much in the early days of the Under-17.
“Thero said to me, you seem to be focusing on me too much, there is this guy (pointing to Dipsy), he is a monster talent, you should snap him up too, as for me I don’t have any problems joining GU.”
Gilika says it was then that he learnt the young Selolwane was actually the son to Gertrude, a familiar figure in GU circles.