Are wheels coming off at Motlakase?

MQONDISI DUBE
Staff Writer | Friday July 9, 2010 00:00

Motlakase were on everybody's lips after a blistering campaign in the First Division that saw them grab the title and win promotion to the Premier League last season.

Their trail-blazing squad went for 15 games unbeaten in the lower division and drew huge crowds to their home ground.It was a scene to wonder at and left some Premier League clubs drooling with envy.

The Central District, long starved of top class football, had every reason to cheer. Motlakase made their entry into the elite league at the beginning of the 2009/2010 season. There was every reason for Palapye residents to be optimistic. For long, they had been relegated to supporting clubs in far-flung places like Gaborone. But, thanks to Motlakase's brilliant displays, they had their own to cheer.

But that celebration was cut short as Chouka Chouka had to travel for their home matches. In what should go down in local football history, Motlakase played all their 15 home matches either in Francistown or Selebi-Phikwe.

The maroon outfit saw the fans' enthusiasm die as a result of their frequent travels. Only a handful of supporters accompanied the team to their matches.

Motlakase directors whet their supporters' appetite when they raised more than P1, 5 million for the construction of the club's stadium in Palapye. The soccer fraternity applauded the move, as Motlakase had become the first local club to build its own stadium.

The project took off at a brisk pace with February 2010 targeted as the completion month. In the meantime, the team was busy on the transfer market scooping some experienced but near over the hill players.

Former Extension Gunners' left-footed midfielder, Trevor Moiseraele and former Zebras' winger, Eric Molebatsi were brought on board to fortify a youthful side.

Experienced coach, Madinda Ndlovu was seen as the perfect man to guide the Palapye side to a top eight finish.Ndlovu arrived with a big reputation having handled sides like Township Rollers and Nico United with limited success. When he arrived, the Zimbabwean coach was smitten. He was full of praises for the Motlakase administration after he signed a two-year contract.

Players spoke of how well they were being taken care of, a rarity in local football.

The directors were oozing confidence from their every pore and the Palapye community felt the frenzy was justified.

But that's how far it lasted. The team's performance was far from convincing on its debut appearance.

Despite having a relatively good squad, Motlakase found itself having to shrug off relegation.

Their target was a top eight finish but it had evaporated by the time news of barring players from taking cell phones to camp filtered to the media. The management, in a bid to arrest the slide, ordered players not to carry their communication gadgets to camp.

This riled players who leaked some internal issues to the media. There were reports of bad blood between some senior players and the coach, Ndlovu.

The end result was evident on the field of play as Motlakase fared badly. It did not end there.

The stadium, like the windmill in George Owell's classic, Animal Farm, stood as a reminder of a season that started promisingly but ended barren. It was unfinished at the close of the season and remains so to date. The management cannot put a time-frame on when the stadium will be completed.

There are reports that the verve and vigour has evaporated. Ndlovu has retraced his steps back to his homeland and has preferred coaching lowly Black Mambas in that country's Premier League.

An anonymous letter from 'so-called' concerned supporters allege rot at the club. The letter accuses Motlakase directors of running the club with iron-fist with no regard for supporters, among other concerns.

The team will soon offload some players, particularly those seen as fermenting discontent in the camp.

Despite the evident slow-down in the club's operations, chairperson, Mangisi Segadimo says all is well.

'Our resolve remains unchanged. We are pulling in the same direction. It is always the trend locally when a team wins, supporters run with it, but when you start losing, they run away,' Segadimo says.

He says the committee is still as committed as it was and there is no reason why people should question their commitment.