Promoted sides survive as Miscellaneous, Santos join TAFIC in First Division
Lekopanye Mooketsi | Tuesday April 29, 2014 14:10
This is the first time that the Serowe based Miscellaneous are relegated since they got promoted in 2010. Miscellaneous spokesperson, Musa Morapedi said that this year they were caught off guard as they are always in a comfort zone. He said by the time they realised they were in trouble, it was too late. “We thought we were safe but we were still to play the top four teams. We were never in the relegation zone until last month,” he said. Morapedi stated that by the time they roped in former Zebras’ coach, Stan Tshosane to assist the technical committee, it was too late. He said they did not beef up their squad during the January transfer window because they felt they were safe. He said the players only realised they were in trouble in the recent game against Gaborone United and the fact that they did not have a home ground took a toll on their finances. Since it gained promotion, Miscellaneous have never played at home in Serowe. Morapedi said if the Serowe Stadium was re-opened before the league ended, it was going to make a difference. “It was bad to go out this way but there was nothing we could do. But we can’t despair,” he said.
However, it is not the end of life for the Serowe side. “We will come back strongly,” Morapedi vowed. He said they are not going to stop any of their players who want to leave.
TAFIC was the first side to relegate this season after their perennial financial woes finally took its toll. At the beginning of the season, the team was caught up in boardroom squabbles, which affected their play.
Santos may have been killed by the fact that they have become a nursery of players for established sides like Township Rollers. Over the years, big teams have been poaching good players groomed by the club like Tsotso Ngele. As usual, Gunners dodged the relegation axe once again even though at some stage, it looked as if the Lobatse based side was finally on its way down. Notwane escaped relegation on the last day with victory over the already doomed TAFIC.