The move has shocked thousands of Rollers' supporters who have been idolising the speedy midfielder. Balepi joined Rollers in 2003 from Great North Tigers in Francistown and soon established himself in the hearts of the hard to impress Mapalastina fans.
He told Mmegi Sport yesterday that he has joined Chiefs because he needs a different environment after playing at Rollers for four years. The 23-year-old midfielder said he chose Chiefs because of the quality of players it has assembled. "For me to be the best, I have to compete with the best players in the league. Chiefs have always been close to my heart, hence it was not difficult to join it," he said. Balepi added that he still loves Rollers and the clubs' fans should understand his reasons for leaving.
Meanwhile, Rollers' vice-chairperson Dumi Mmualefhe said that they have not received any correspondence from Balepi. "But we took a resolution last week that we should let him go. We have even told supporters that they should not have any grudges against him," Mmualefhe told Mmegi Sport. It is understood that the reason Rollers released Balepi is that he has always attracted interest from various clubs during every transfer period. Mmualefhe told Mmegi Sport that there was no point of standing in Balepi's way because players will always come and go.
Chiefs' spokesman, Clifford Mogomotsi was in his element when confirming the arrival of Balepi. "It is not a secret that we have always wanted to have him. For the past five years, he has always eluded us. We want him to join the stable and compete against the players in the league," said Mogomotsi.
Rollers are reported to have written to Chiefs seeking permission to talk to four of their players, Pontsho Moloi, Kekaetswe 'Mara' Moloi, Boniface Makolo and Noah Maposa. But it is understood that Magosi are not wiling to release any of the players. "We're not intending to sell any of the players Rollers want," Mogomotsi said yesterday.
