29 Jul 2014

Coaches of teams that participated in Serowe football tourney expressed their satisfaction at the preparations and said they were raring to get the  premier league ball rolling.

After BDF XI walloped Orapa United 3-1, Elijah Chikwanda of BDF XI was a happy man despite, the core of his team being engaged with the national team.

The BDF players in the national team include, amongst others, Boitumelo ‘Navara’ Mafoko, Kabelo Seakanyeng and Bonolo ‘Current’ Phuduhudu.

Chikwanda said he his team was ready for the league. Quizzed about the benefits derived from the tourney, Chikwanda hailed it as a preparatory assignment to see how far they could go.

Asked about the unfamiliar faces at the BDF XI camp spotted during the tourney, Chikwanda pointed out that his technical team wanted to try out some combinations and observe certain players who were new to the side.

Such players included new signings in the mould of Pako Moloi, Vincent Ndzombe and the returning Pako Modikwa from Extension Gunners.

For his part Orapa United assistant coach who spoke on behalf of Maxwell ‘Malume’ Moyo said his team was ready for the top eight spot and conceded that the tourney helped his team to try out various combinations ahead of the start of the league in a week’s time.

He was optimistic that the tourney helped his side get a picture of how they would look like in the coming season.

Nchime Modise said United alas Ostriches were ready for the start of the league even though they concentrated much on trying out combinations to solve the problems they experienced in the past season.

When asked about the objectives of the tournament Miscellaneous branch chairman, Moses Maitane said the tourney aimed at inter alia helping teams with their preseason preparations and bringing football closer to the people of Serowe who last season were starved of football action due to the unavailability of Serowe Sports Complex.

“We basically wanted to quench their football thirst due to the fact that last season our team played their home games away from Serowe,” said Maitane who added that the tourney afforded their coach a chance an opportunity to gauge the strength of his team.”

Quizzed on the rationale of bringing the teams outside Serowe and mostly premier league teams, Maitane defended their decision on the grounds that Serowe First Division teams were engaged in Serowe Trade Fair and Exhibition Show games. ENDS