12 Apr 2017

Old Naledi based Sharps Shooting Stars football club is an inch closer the elite league for the first time in its 34 years of existence, all thanks to hard work and discipline.

Under the guidance of Keitumetse ‘Pio’ Paul, Sharps require a point from their remaining two matches to ascend to top flight football.

The club from ‘ditakana’ is six points clear at the summit of the Debswana First Division South from 20 matches, having won 12, drawn seven and defeated only once.

That the club’s management was determined to gain promotion this season is evidenced by the caliber of players they recruited like former Extension Gunners players Monageng Thaele and Jomo Moatlhaping, Langa Mabuli from Notwane and Keleagetse Mogomotsi from BDF XI, plus an experienced coach in Paul.

The former Extension Gunners coach has used the experienced players and those he found in the team like exciting left winger Letlhogonolo Chenjela, left back Pato Sakana and goalkeeper Richard Musheke to build a solid and hard to beat team.

Thaele, who has since assumed the captaincy role, has marshaled the midfield with aplomb, while the team’s mean defence has kept 14 clean sheets and conceding just six goals.

Paul said in an exclusive interview that the team was doing well because it had aggressive players who were hungry for success.

“To be honest, promotion to the elite league was not in our plans; I was called very late to come and help the team and the only player of note I could recognise then was Thaele; the rest I did not know,” he said, adding that he was recruited the same day the transfer window was closing.

The coach said most of the players lacked game awareness and some basics at the beginning of the season, but he came up with different game formations.

“I didn’t despair and I shared my philosophy with the players because I knew that for a team to tick players should be happy and play as a unit,” he said.

He explained that his university masters’ degree dissertation was based on coach and athlete relationship which he believes has helped him to improve the players he found at Sharps.

He said he put more emphasis on the defence because he strongly believes that “defence wins competitions and goals win a games.”

“Defending, transition and attacking are the three basics I preach always; I told them that if we lose the ball we close down our opponents, and when we win the ball we attack. We are playing the modern game which demands high fitness levels,” he explained.

The skipper said after beefing-up the squad during the mid-season transfer window, he was happy that his team had character to challenge for honours.

Team captain, Thaele said they had done well due to team work and commitment of the players and the technical team.

He said they set their own objectives as players that they wanted to gain promotion and in their quest they should not lose any game but at least settle for a draw.

“Currently we have lost only one game against Mogoditshane Fighters during the first round, and we are now left with two games to wrap up the league, and our mission is to maintain the momentum,” he said.

Thaele said Sharps were like a family given that they plan for opponents together as a team, and there was no finger pointing whenever a mistake had been committed during games. ENDS