Young Moalosi comes to the party

TSHEPO MOLWANE
Staff Writer | Monday April 12, 2010 00:00

 

'I want to play for the national team and it is not helping if I get selected while I am not playing at Rollers. The worst part is that the coach (Rahman Gumbo) is not explaining to me why I am not playing,' said Moalosi at the time.

Rollers did not read too much into the youngster's sentiments and they retained him. Since the beginning of the current campaign, Moalosi has been a revelation as he formed an unstoppable combination upfront with Zimbabwean hotshot Terrence Mandaza.

This season the Otse-born star has only missed two league games out of the 25 the team has played. He did not play against Boteti Young Fighters and Mochudi Centre Chiefs. Some commentators have even argued that Rollers look out of sorts without Moalosi as evidenced in their 3-2 loss to Chiefs in January.

The player told Sport Monitor that he is happy to be playing again after a frustrating time last season. 'The coach has been encouraging me to work hard because he feels that I have improved. He told me that last season I was playing for supporters and this was not helping the team. This season he asked me to take more responsibility,' said Moalosi.

The 21-year-old attacking midfielder believes he has improved his play but there is still room for improvement. The youngster said that while he is receiving a lot of positive response from different quarters, he is not going to let success go to his head.

'It is good to hear people saying good things about you but it is important to be focused.

'I'm not going to let this (accolades) distract me. Instead, I'm going to continue working hard. Even the coach has been very helpful as he communicates regularly with me,' he said.

Moalosi paid tribute to Mandaza saying that he has eased pressure off him. He pointed out that they communicate a lot in the field and in the process, he learns a lot from the striker.

While Mandaza has rattled the net 30  times, Moalosi has scored 10 goals. But he still believes that he can score more goals in the remaining games.

Many believe that the youngster is a strong contender for the Player of the Season award but his main focus is to win the league title with Mapalastina. 'I've not won any silverware since I started playing football and I want to focus on helping Rollers win the league title.

'It will be a very special moment for me. Other things will come as a bonus. I would like to thank our supporters for having been behind us from the onset because it encouraged us to perform every game.

Even at training, they come in large numbers, which show that they are happy with our performance,' he said.Moalosi who once had a stint at Orlando Pirates Youth Academy in South Africa, added that he still harbours playing abroad.

He feels bad when he sees the likes of Bloemfontein Celtic winger Tlou Segolela and goalkeeper Thulasizwe Khuzwayo of Golden Arrows excelling because they were in the same youth squad in 2006 at Pirates.

When contacted for comment, Mandaza said that he has been impressed by Moalosi's exploits since the beginning of the season.

The talented marksman said that unlike last season, Moalosi has been working hard in training. 'During games he is not only scoring goals but he also creates, something which has helped our course this season.

Though I'm older than him, I listen to his advice during games. That's why we've been complementing each other well during games,' he said.

This weekend, Moalosi and Mandaza take a break from the league as they lead their side against First Division outfit Mogoditshane Fighters in the Coca-Cola Cup semi-final.

With the duo on fire, the Brazilians are likely to have a tough match.