Mourning the sudden death of Selebi-Phikwe football
Onalenna Kelebeile | Friday November 10, 2017 14:30
SELEBI-PHIKWE: For decades, Selebi-Phikwe was home to beautiful football and boundless talent.
Nico United were the dominant force before the late entrance of FC Satmos, which completely re-defined the town’s football landscape just before the turn of the millennium.
It was during the time when Botswana hosted the CAF Under-17 tournament, which was dubbed ‘A Basimane Ba Kgwathe’. Botswana was humiliated at the tournament and from the bruises, emerged players like Edwin Disang, Phineas ‘Jikie’ Maimela, Richard ‘Bricks’ Garebaitse and Mogolodi ‘Stix’ Chepete.
In the mining town, joining the fierce Nico and Satmos rivalry were Phikwe Pirates, coached by the late Ace Tshambane, Mosquito FC, widely known as Monang and Red Lions. Sparks were guaranteed to fly each time the teams met.
Another chip to the rivalry was the fight for players.
The likes of Abueng ‘Stone’ Dijogadifele were sources of endless speculation amongst teams, but no amount was acceptable for Red Lions to release him. He was one of the deadliest players, but lost his sparkle the moment he left Red Lions and he never recovered.
Those were the days when hardly a weekend passed without a Premier League match with two sides, Nico and Satmos in the top flight.
It was a time when the support for the local teams reached an all time high, with bus loads of fans accompanying their favourite sides to away matches.
On the eve of bruising encounters, the town would be awash with team colours and regalia as a way of ramping up the atmosphere.
At times people would start streaming into the stadium, at least two hours before the start of the game in order to secure the best seats. There were committed and regular elderly faces at almost all the matches. There was the late Type Mokhunthedi, a passionate Nico supporter, who used to possess what was known as the ‘Radio Mall’.
On the morning of the match, Mokhunthedi would take time to publicise Nico matches at the mall.
Retired player Phinda Mbereki recalls the electric atmosphere, and Mokhunthedi carrying an omega radio commentating as if he was watching the game. Supporters would lump up around him, attracting idle people to join in. “In the afternoon all roads would lead to the stadium that would be filled beyond capacity. That was how passionate Selebi-Phikwe people were about football and local teams,” he said.
As one of the deadly players then, Phinda would sometimes bump on staunch supporters carrying a placard with his picture around town, hours ahead of the game. “That alone would pressurise me to give my all and winning the game for them was the only payment you could give,” he said.
Mbereki who played for Phikwe Callies before his 10-year stint with Nico United, remembers very well the times when Nico and Copper Chiefs, which later became Satmos, used to be the pulse of the mining town football. “You would see supporters donning gowns, helmets and bibles all leading to the same direction for a thrilling encounter between the two formidable sides.
The games then used to be very competitive and unpredictable. The passion went to the extent of players buying their won soccer boots and even donating to the teams,” he added.
Selebi-Phikwe was a known launching pad for a number of players and administrators.
Mbereki said Mooketsi ‘China’ Mading was the most passionate player the town has ever had and he never wanted a loss.
The late Sam Sono also receives special mention for Mbereki, who said he was “the best thing ever to happen to Botswana football”.
He said Satmos had a professional set-up because Sono believed in the welfare of players.
There are other sons who added to Selebi-Phikwe’s glow.
“We also had the likes of Mmoloki Sechele who was one of the best midfielders in the country and Booster Moalosi as one of the best defenders as well as Zimbabwean national, Norman Gumbo who was very soft spoken, reserved and disciplined but a tough opponent to deal with,” he vividly remembers.
Other great players included Zacharia Muzadzi and Mulungisi Kopi. Mogogi Gabonamong also had a brief stint at Satmos before heading to Trinidad and Tobago. There used to be Phikwe Challenge Cup, a pre-season tournament hosted by Nico, where a lot of players were discovered as it gave smaller teams a platform. Clubs from around the country came here to scout for talent.
“I do not know where it got lost, but it used to market Phikwe a lot,” Mbereki said.
He expressed pity that there has been a change in Selebi-Phikwe football. He said people must appreciate that back then, players were not paid. Mbereki said today, if players abscond from training over payment issues they lose out from marketing themselves. He said it is a reality that nowadays football is a business hence there is need for the business community to come on board and revive the spirit of football in the region.
“Game attendance has drastically dropped because there is just no money in Selebi-Phikwe. The trend now is that training sessions attract more spectators than match day. Something must really come to this town,” he said.
However he is confident that all is not lost as such, urging retired players to join hands and perhaps come up with only one Premier League team for Selebi-Phikwe. Mogolodi Chepete, who had a lengthy stint at Satmos, recalls the fierce derbies between his side and Nico. He said the match would literally bring the whole town to a halt and during the week the rivalry would be evident amongst supporters while the whole town would be decorated with the colours of the two teams. The stadium would be a full house while sparks would fly on the field.
He remembers that FC Satmos first won the Botswana Life tournament and finished runners-up in the Coca Cola cup when they were coached by Kenny Mwape, Sam Sono and China Mading. “We were groomed in such a way that even at training, we knew that games were a must win and the moral was always high,” he said.
Some Selebi-Phikwe products Chepete remembers are Thabo Motang, Maano Ditshupo and Segolame Boy. Kagiso Tshelametsi, who is now a goalkeeper coach at Security Systems, also had a stint at Satmos, Mompoloki Same, Sharp Shooting Stars goalkeeper coach, Ezekiel Morake at Jwaneng Galaxy, all launched their careers in the mining town.
There was Botlhe ‘Bebeto’ Bolofete, Tibone Madeluka, Barry Hangunyu, Reuben Tshwenetshwene, Enerst Dube, Master Masiku, Tendai Ndoro, Master Masitara and Butler Masango who played for the two famous Selebi-Phikwe sides.
Some of the famous administrators or technical officers to emerge from Selebi-Phikwe are Setete Phuthego, Benny Kgomela, the late Tebro Onkabetse, Current Ramaribana, Peter Muchina, Joshua Bondo, who is one of the best in Africa and Oratile Malapela.
The town always produced good goalkeepers like Sono, Mading, Tshelametsi and Kgosietsile Senjoba, while late Chrispen Nyamutambo once played for Nico.
Chepete regrets that as a result of the mine closure, the number of supporters has dwindled. There is no flair and generally nothing compels anybody to go and watch the games.
There is no top flight team in the mining town and this has had an effect on local football. FC Satmos are now in Division One, while Nico find itself in the First Division. There was a time when three local teams, Nico, Satmos and Mosquito were in the Premier League.
Chepete observes that sometimes local teams fail to honour fixtures for away games because of financial issues and this had contributed to their downfall. However, smaller teams like Phikwe Acadia, Phikwe Callies, Mosquito, Real Movers and Red Lions are still active despite common challenges.