Only 10 pitch-up as Nico's AGM flops

Onalenna Kelebeile | Wednesday July 4, 2018 14:26

 

The future of the club looks bleak, and the meeting was seen as crucial in mapping the way forward.

The committee only has five members and the meeting was supposed to elect some new members. The AGM must be held before the new season commences.

The club’s chairperson, Moagi Tshupego resigned from the committee due to ill-health, while secretary general, Esther Ikaneng has since re-located from Selebi-Phikwe and so has vice secretary Ditshenyegelo Mogoto while additional member, Samuel Ponatshego and public relations officer, Mogomotsi Orapeleng have resigned.  

Other posts that needed to be filled include that of the team manager and welfare manager. The annual general meeting was also necessary according to the secretary general Ikaneng, because the committee has to be complete before the new season starts.

The club has to be represented during the drawing up of the new season’s fixtures. To avert the committee from collapse, the remaining members had to reappoint themselves to other vacant positions as well as co-opt others to fill vacant posts.

Barulaganye Choolisa moved from the treasurer position to be the team manager. She said the office would reschedule another meeting as soon as possible so that everything would be in place before the league commences.

She said that the team is facing serious financial challenges and funds are being administered from individuals’ pockets. “We cannot afford to pay players, but we assist where we can in their welfare. We are also happy that Good Samaritans in the community often assist us with new balls and water during the games,” she said.

She highlighted that they have been using BCL units for players’ accommodation but they have since been asked to surrender the houses to the mine. “Now as the season commences we do not know where our players would stay,” she said.

As a result, 12 players are left stranded, without accommodation. The team has rented two houses but face challenges paying rentals. The team was reliant on the mine, and since its closure, it has been on a downward spiral. Efforts to secure sponsorship have proven unsuccessful. Supporters, who paid a monthly subscription through the mine, have left the town.

Nico, which finished sixth in the First Division North league last season, has nothing in their account, but needs P100,000 to sustain next season’s campaign. The amount excludes players’ salaries. Ikaneng said they are happy that they have not lost any player though they have not made any new additions.

“We intend to retain all the players we have, as well as our coach Peter Muchina,” she added.  She said despite all the challenges Nico honoured all the fixtures in the last season and managed to hold their scheduled meetings.

“We also managed to pay affiliation fees for both the region and the First Division North. We were also successful in forming the recruitment and disciplinary committees. We also started the e-registration and compliance though we have not finished the process,” she said.

The outgoing secretary appreciated efforts of the committed members who have stayed to ensure the hardships and celebrate the little achievements that the team has made. “We must help unify the team and revive the football spirit in our town instead of tearing each other apart. We must be confident that we shall rise again,” she said.