GU in safe hands despite Phoko exit
Kabelo Boranabi | Saturday July 15, 2023 06:00
As the 2023-2024 football season starts, Semelamela may end his six-year-long wait in the deputy ranks. It has not been an easy journey for the keeper who blossomed late in his career.
The 30-year-old got his break in 2015 after Tebogo Mokute signed him at BR Highlanders in the Premier League. It was his first professional contract at 21 years having spent most of his career in the constituency football leagues. Semelamela had two wonderful seasons in the elite league but could not save BR Highlanders from the drop in 2017.
The Reds were quick to react and signed the keeper to deputise Phoko. He admits that he was miles behind his competitor when he joined the club. “I had so many challenges because I came here with less basic goalkeeping (skills), so the other keepers had all the basics. So I was forced to up-skill in just over a short period. The other thing was, there was no time (to learn) and just imagine, I was fighting for the spot with someone who was well developed and had been playing in the national team.
You can imagine how hard it was for me,” he said. The Senyawe-born had to patiently wait for his moment. He recalls that he had to ‘drag’ himself to training as at some moments he felt he had performed enough in training to deserve a chance. The thought of leaving GU, however, did not for a minute cross his mind as he pinned his hopes on dedication and discipline. Semelamela also credits his ‘rivalry’ with Phoko for his development. “It is not easy being the second-choice goalkeeper. Sometimes when I came to GU it was not easy to get that No.1 spot from Phoko. The competition that we gave each other was extraordinary so it was not an easy one because the guy was there for years and he was the trusted one so just imagine the challenge I was facing. Yes, sometimes I had chances to play but that was not enough, so patience and handwork and not giving up worked out for me because I was learning everything that is why I was always there,” he said.
The keeper was used sparingly until Nikola Kavazovic preferred him to Phoko. Kavazovic left GU after just a short period and Semelamela was once again relegated to the bench. The arrival of Pontsho Moloi saw the goal-minder given the cup-keeper role. He played in GU's run to the Orange FA Cup defence in 2022 and was voted as the tournament's best keeper.
In the just-ended campaign, the former Highlanders man had a couple of league appearances. He once again played a starring role as GU won the Orange FA Cup for the third consecutive time. He had a good tournament including penalty shootout heroics against Eleven Angels and CRACKiT CityPolar as he for the second consecutive time won the tournament’s best keeper accolade. “I want to play at least 20 league games and at least play for the national team because it is every footballer's dream. Possibly to play outside the country, yes age might be not on my side but I won't give up, one is one day,” Semelamela said about his plans. Young Cedric Ramojela joins him in the GU goalkeeping ranks while Masitaoka’s Thabo Motswagole is expected to beef up the squad.
FULL NAMES: Ookeditse Semelamela DATE OF BIRTH: October 17, 1993 PLACE OF BIRTH: Gaborone HOME VILLAGE: Senyawe NICKNAME: Rodger FAVOURITE PLAYER: Itumeleng Khune FAVOURITE TEAM: Real Madrid