Siska might not have reached the heights that he yearned for in his football career due to multiple injuries, but he left soccer fans with fond memories. He was only 29 when he decided to call it quits as his legs gave in to frequent injuries. Those who were around in 2006 will not forget ‘Sister Bettina’s valuable contribution when he rose highest to nod home Diphetogo Selolwane’s free-kick as the Zebras beat Burundi 1-0 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The Zebras were under the tutelage of Rowe, and Siska said the diminutive coach showed trust in his abilities. “Unfortunately, I did not play much for the Zebras because of constant injuries but the game that stands out is the one against Burundi where I scored the winner.
I had been recalled to the national team by coach Rowe who believed so much in my abilities as a player,” Siska said. Rowe’s predecessor, Jelusic Vesselin occasionally called up Siska, but injuries were always the monkey on the striker’s back. The Francistown-born Siska’s career took off from the early age of 12 when he played in the then Chappies Little League, a grassroots development programme. “I first started my football career with Armcity FC back in the day in the Chappies Little League. Playing under Michael Gaborone (Spokes) was an honour because he was a good coach and a father figure to a lot of us. I then moved to a third division team called Marang FC before joining Mochudi Centre Chiefs, where I played with great players such as Edwin Tlhabangane Masire, Chicco Dance Nare, Ernest Mitti, Seabo Gabanakgosi and Parker Mampori, just to name a few. From Chiefs I joined Notwane FC,” he said. He joined Chiefs at the age of 16. At 23 years, he turned professional. “I had experiences in South Korea, Israel, Brunei, and Malaysia. At some point, while playing in and out of the country and the national team, I had to succumb to a very bad knee injury that forced me to have knee replacement surgery in Cape Town, South Africa. After recovery, I was headhunted by a team (Al Nahdha FC, Oman), that had seen me play in Malaysia and United Arab Emirates (UAE),” he said. He went abroad when he was 25-years-old. Siska then returned home for a memorable spell with Uniao Flamengo Santos, a team that took the local scene by storm. “I had great moments with former teammates such as Pius Kgolagano, Koti Koti and one of my favourite former local players, Vincent ‘Ortega’ Kgaswane. We formed a lethal team under the guidance of the late David Bright (MHSRIP), Clever Hunda and Sexton ‘Bra Tshidi’ Kowa. From Santos, I re-joined Chiefs but unfortunately sustained another knee injury during my first game of the league.
