Setabosigo Laid To Rest In Mahalapye
Bonte Seepi | Monday May 15, 2017 15:16
The 17-year-old player passed away just two days after football buried Township Rollers attacker, Gofaone Tiro. Both died of suspected heart failures after collapsing in training in separate incidents.
Setabosigo was a Form 5 student at Madiba Senior Secondary School here. He passed on while his team was preparing for the Eastern Block First Division play-offs that were supposed to be played in Palapye on Saturday.
Numerous speakers described him as a humble and disciplined child. His aunt, Kagiso Mabeka gave a heartfelt tribute saying Setabosigo was a respectful child who showed love for football at a young age. She said ‘Dino’ used to play soccer with his cousins and would dribble past them until they complained.
She said the late player was also an athlete who took after his father, a former Elden Boys player. Madiba Senior Secondary School representative, Akanyang Nthaoli, described Dino as a quiet and humble student who always cooperated with his school mates and teachers.
She said since the young man got to their school, she never received any report of misbehaviour. “He never absconded from school and he was talented academically, performing well in subjects such as Design and Technology and Religious Education. We had so much hope on him,” Nthaoli said.
His former coach at Morale Junior Secondary School, Kabelo Sephatla said Dino showed interest in playing soccer for the school while doing Form 1 in 2013 and played for the schools’s Under-15 team.
Sephatla said Dino had recently been selected to the national Under-20. Dino’s teammate, Raymond Chiwita promised that his side will ensure that they win the play-offs as a way of honouring their fallen hero. He said with Dino at left back, every game was easy for them, adding that during his absence especially when he was busy with his school work, Santa Green struggled as his replacements never delivered like him.
He said Dino always mockingly said, “Position e gase ya bana” (this position (left back) is not for kids). He said the disciplined youngster contributed a lot to where the team is today.
‘He was always determined to take his team forward, hence we shall go make him proud next weekend in Palapye by winning the play-offs,” said the visibly sad Chiwita.
Botswana Football Association (BFA) representative, Rebasikwa Mothoagae said they met Dino’s family immediately after they heard of his passing-on. He said they had since postponed the play-off games to this weekend to give his family and club a chance to mourn their star.
He promised that BFA will always be supportive to Dino’s family and that they have arranged counselling for Santa Green players, which he said will be carried out before the play-offs. His school mates and teammates were given a chance to bid him farewell by carrying his coffin at home and at the cemetery. Dino, who was a Township Rollers supporter, is survived by his parents, elder sister and younger brother.