Wanderers' veterans reminisce years of yore
Koketso Kgoboge | Friday May 24, 2019 12:12
Wanderers broke a lengthy 46-year-old spell when they gained top-flight football promotion at the expense of fellow mining town side Jwaneng Fighters.
The Wanderers win has elicited euphoria amongst the team’s veterans who remember their sojourn at the team, commonly known as Wandi-Wandi, with nostalgia.
Some of the veterans played a crucial role in contributing to the management of the team during the hour of need and some also doubled as players in some instances.
During their heydays, the coal mine was supportive but lack of a pertinent team structure was their shortfall. Ellias ‘Four-Five’ Ntshinogang, the Wanderers marksman of the days of yore reminisced this week, albeit with a fading memory that they had a great side under the tutelage of a certain man he remembers only as Mr Phiri that boasted of stellar players in the likes of Two-Two, Lesh Maikano, Oscotch, Reuben Spit Fire, Ramaribana, Skepe, Tshipi and Macarena, to mention just a few.
Four-Five who joined Wanderers from Selebi-Phikwe’s Black Aces, said at the time, the Second Division squad had all the hallmarks of a side that could easily gain First Division promotion, but lady luck often eluded them.
He remembered one season they beat the likes of Mahalapye’s Queens Park Rangers, Hotspurs, City Blacks, Matsubutsubu of Shoshong, Real Fighters from Lerala, Maphatshwa, locals Palapye Swallows and Palapye United amongst others to the Central region’s Barclays Cup silverware.
Four-Five, who turned out for Wanderers for 23 years, said in his prime years, his side was a known giant slayer in the region. In most seasons, they finished the league in either second or third position.
His side survived under a limited support base while they played against teams with hordes of supporters. They learnt to endure the noise of their hostile opponents’ backing.
“People watched football in great numbers and we learnt to enjoy the crowd even when they were against us. We were the giants’ slayers and we enjoyed beating those teams with big support,” he recalls.
Four-Five reckons the current crop of Wanderers management has outdone themselves and the team deserves its achievements. He is elated that the team has done them proud by gaining promotion to the elite league.
“The mine has always been with this team and only if we had active management as they have now, we would have long been successful. We are grateful to what the boys did, now people remember we had played football,” says the 58-year-old retired ball juggler.
His former teammate, Amos ‘Macarena’ Kgagamedi, who enjoyed his four-year stint at the Palapye club, reminisces how they have pushed for the promotions with determination for a couple of seasons but their shortfall was losing players to big teams every season.
Promotion that eluded his team precipitated his transfer to Diamonds Chiefs in Letlhakane. However, since joining Wanderers he developed a strong attachment with the club and he still follows it religiously today.
“I have great memories with my former teammates, and we became lifetime friends and we still share a lot. Wanderers brought us together and it remains close to my heart,” says the 40-year-old.
He was impressed with the way things are going at the club right now. “The players are as committed as we were, the management is doing a great job and they have good coaching staff. I think they will do wonders in the Premiership.”
Former goalkeeper, Buru Masoso who donned the gold and black colours of Wanderers from 1987 to 2005, said battles were intense during their era, competing in the broader Central District region.
He says despite losing players due to incessant failure to gain promotion to top leagues, combined with players’ desire to play for the regional best teams, made them lose players every season.
“We did not lose ourselves, we played as underdogs all the time, but we managed to finish in good positions against tougher opponents,” Masoso remembers.
“I think the culture remains even now at Wanderers. The players are focussed on doing their best and they shocked people when least expected.”
Masoso, like others, praised the club management for turning around the fortunes at Wanderers. He said during his time the management and the coaching staff were always embroiled in fights over team selection.
“We see from a distance that the management and the coaching department understand their roles better. The players are also enjoying themselves, and they need a few players and they would be good for the premiership,” Masoso, who is a former Botswana Football Association referee, said.