08 Mar 2017

From a very tender age of seven, Sopra Masalela was so intelligent and sharp in sport that he was already playing football for Thamalakane Primary School team in Maun.
Born and raised in Maun, but currently residing in Tati Siding, Masalela has the ambition to unearth football talent from grassroots level by coaching children of the North East district village.
Masalela’s passion for football started taking shape while still at primary school in the 1980s, where his school team used to torment rival teams from other schools in the area.
“At the time, I played as a striker in all our encounters and my team was always simply the best,” he says in an interview.
It was not by chance that the young man chose football as his favourite sport.
Rather it was the love for soccer that attracted him, he says, adding that he played football throughout the school levels.
In 1992, while working in Lobatse as a technician in the department of Electrical Services, he was drawn into BMC Football Club and later Peleng Kicks Football Club.
“I still played as a striker during my time with these teams, and I did not disappoint,” he says, adding that in 1994, he was transferred to the City of Francistown where he still followed his football passion, and that time around, it was Tafa Football Club that stole his heart.
Masalela’s brilliant performance and success on the pitch earned him the nickname ‘Queen’ from happy supporters although soon in 1996 he had to settle in Selebi Phikwe for a National Craft Certificate (NCC) in Welding.
In the copper/nickel mining town, the young man played for the Selebi Phikwe Vocational Training Institute where he was a student. Interestingly, upon completion of the NCC course in 1999, he was posted once again to Lobatse where his working career first began.
Now aged and living in Tati Siding, Masalela says he decided to instill his football skills among kids especially his sons because he had always wanted to be an inspiration to them.
“I have eight children; seven sons and a daughter,” he explains, adding that he began with grooming his own children after which some kids in the neighbourhood also showed interest and their parents began bringing them to join the epic.
That motivated him to do more and at some point he was asked by different sport masters to assist with coaching skills at their respective primary and junior secondary schools.
Today, Masalela has registered a fully-fledged sporting academy called Young Sopra United Academy, based in Tati Siding the services of which are free and so far 77 kids from Tati Siding have participated.
“There are three categories of children including, Under-13s, 15s and 17s, and all my efforts and time are in the spirit of volunteerism and the aim is to transform football,” he says, adding that Botswana Football Association has come to the party through soccer kits.
He however laments that this is not enough because the enrollment continues to grow all the time; thus he appeals for assistance from other stakeholders, as well as the general public.
He stresses the importance of grooming children in sport at a tender age as crucial since nowadays sport is no longer only for entertainment but also something from which one can earn a living.
Some of the neighbouring countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia are performing so well in football because they considered grooming players from grassroots level which is very important in moulding children.
“I do not gather these children for football training only, but I also share some ideas and experiences of life with them, including discipline issues to do away with parents’ worries of unruliness among young people,” he says.
There are challenges, says Masalela, and one of them is that of financial constraints; he spends from his pockets to resource the kids when they have to go and play outside Tatisiding such as in Tonota.
“I spend about P400 in a weekend to hire transport for the kids, and that is a big challenge,” he says, adding that another big challenge is that some people do not take sport seriously.
Some people still view sport as consuming a lot of time for learners; hence poor academic performance, he says, adding that despite the challenges, he is not deterred to attain his dream to develop and transform football.
He notes that parents should now be realising that sport is one way of career advancement and life’s essentials; as such children should be encouraged and supported for their sporting talents to blossom.
Masalela reveales that he groomed super league players liken Robert Mosimane who is now a great goal keeper for Orapa United and Becho Pius of Police XI.
Happy Pako Molatedi, 15, a participant in the academy applauds his coach’s efforts and devotion in grooming them, saying he hopes to play at international levels after graduating from the academy.
The kid says he wants to be players like Cristiano Ronald of Real Madrid Football club in Spain, while Oteng Sekwate, also a learner, says hopes that one day they will be playing for the national team. ENDS