Chilisa a straight talker who frowned upon 'spoken' football

KAGISO SEKOKONYANE
Staff Writer | Friday June 14, 2013 00:00

 

I knew Chilisa back in 1990 when I was playing for Gaborone Kicks in the inaugural First Division.When I joined Gaborone Kicks, they had just been promoted to the First Division.  Kicks had outwitted Sharps the previous year in the promotional games. It was a bitter pill for Chilisa to swallow, as he used to talk about the game and this spurred him on to get Sharps promoted to the First Division.

At the time there was one national first division and it entailed much travelling as there were teams in far flung areas like Tsabong (Desert Nxau), Orapa (Orapa Bucs and White Diamonds), Francistown (Young City), Letlhakane (Diamond Chiefs) and Selebi-Phikwe (Continental Aces).

My recollection tells me that Chilisa used to come to our games when we were playing in Gaborone. And that is how I got to know about his team. Chilisa knew everybody at Kicks except for some of us who were 'freshers'.They used to talk a lot about football with Fobby Radipotsane and Tirafalo Mponang, the Kicks owner. Though his team was campaigning in the lower division than Kicks, he always wished us well and wished to see his team campaign in the First Division.

Chilisa and his team worked hard and in 1993 Sharps were promoted to the First Division. I vividly remember encounters between Kicks and Sharps either at the Mogoditshane Fighters ground or Sharps ground in Old Naledi.Chilisa was a free spirit and whenever we played he would mingle with us as if we were not rivals.  He loved football so much that he never wanted problems at the games. He maintained peace at the games.

Chilisa endeared himself to many people in the league and he was elected the chairman, a position he held for many years. Chilisa distinguished himself as a robust leader. When it came to the resolution of cases, he dispensed justice efficiently as quickly as possible. One such case involved Mogoditshane Fighters during some promotional games in Selebi-Phikwe.

It would appear that Fighters found it tough and realised that they were not going to make it and tried to use all the tricks in the book, but Chilisa was on top of his game and dealt with the matter without much ado. Another recent case apparently involved a team from Tlokweng, which had won the league and was gearing for promotional games. When the team was preparing for the games, it was discovered that they had been using a defaulter.

Chilisa resolved the matter in no time and arranged for the second and third placed teams to play to determine the qualifier for promotional games. The one that won went for the promotional games. According to Chilisa, 'bolo ga e buiwe, e a ragiwa'.   One thing that stood out about his league was that it always finished on time better than any other. This was despite the fact that he was running a league that had no resources and sponsors.

I continued to interact with Chilisa even after I retired from active football. By this time I was working as a journalist. Not long ago, he complained to me that the journalists of today do not know what they are doing compared to some of us who used to write and promote football.

He felt that nowadays people are out 'to pull down' others.  I told him that if he had complaints about anyone he should make a formal complaint to the relevant authorities.I was at his memorial service on Wednesday and speaker after speaker showered praises on Chilisa. What struck me most was the last conversation he had with Dickson Gabanakgosi and Patimile Kraai the previous Wednesday.

Apparently, he told them that he wanted to sell Sharps Electrical Football Club. Upon further enquiry as to why he wanted to sell it, he said because he wanted to 'relocate'. Three days later Chilisa had departed this world. I am now wondering if this is the relocation that he meant. Chilisa probably had a premonition - he knew his time was up. He may have not said it in clear terms but he knew that his Creator had spoken to him and all that he was doing was bidding his friends farewell though they did not realise it. We are grateful that the All Mighty granted us time with Chilisa and he lived his life to the fullest. His love for football cannot be underestimated and as he rests, he knows quite well that he has fulfilled his mission.

As a parting shot, I wish to dedicate 2 Timothy 4: 7-8 which reads thus, 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.' May his soul rest in eternal peace.