26 Aug 2018

For a long time, Mochudi Centre Chiefs were a team to be reckoned with, winning the elite league four times as well as giving teams such as Township Rollers, Extension Gunners and Gaborone United a torrid time.

In the 2008 season, it had assembled red-hot players in the likes of goalkeeper Noah Maposa, defenders Tshepo Motlhabankwe, Gobonyeone Selefa and the most feared forward in the country amongst them Pontsho Moloi, Mpho Mabogo and Kekaetswe Moloi.

The squad guided Magosi to win double, lifting their first ever Mascom league trophy with an unbeaten run and winning the Coca Cola Cup the same year.

From there, there was serious silverware drought at the Magosi camp.

However they were to redeem their pride during the 2012 and 2013 seasons winning yet another championship.

The last time Magosi were decorated was in 2015.

Since then, the Kgatleng giants have been struggling to return to their glory days.

Their situation was worsened by financial constraints owing to the power struggle that besieged the once feared side.

Centre Chiefs’ financial woes saw them lose some of their tried and tested players such as Lemponye Tshireletso, Galebgwe Moyana, Tshepo Motlhabankwe, Noah Maposa and Joel Mogorosi.

However, the arrival of Botswana Stock Exchange, chief executive officer, Thapelo Tsheole at Magosi is seen as just what the doctor had ordered.

Tsheole was recently head-hunted and appointed the new president of the club, bringing in a wealth of experience in governance.

According to his biography published on AFSIC 2019 - Investing in Africa, Tsheole holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences in economics from the University of Botswana and a Master of Commerce (MComm) in financial markets from Rhodes University (RSA).

He further holds a Masters’ in Business Administration (MBA) from the Graduate School of Business from the University of Cape Town.

He has extensive financial markets experience in capital markets, Forex, structured products and financial market regulation.

He was appointed BSE CEO in January 2016 following a short stint as deputy CEO at the organisation since February 2014.

Tsheole’s career at BSE began in February 2007 when he was appointed product development manager.

In an interview, he said he was requested to help Centre Chiefs for the last two years in various capacities.

“I have been refusing but this time I agreed based on the fact that I took a deliberate decision to assist the club in terms of adding to the possible improvement and governance,” he said.

According to Tsheole he grew up in Mochudi so he found this as an opportunity to give back to his community by providing expertise in terms of general management and the club’s vision.

Furthermore, he said the problem that had been blocking the club was governance and leadership, which he said had contributed in affecting behavioural issues, financial mismanagement and the club growth.

“So if you have those two issues sorted which I think is what I am going to try to address, the rest of other issues become better,” he said.

Governance and leadership, he said, also affected the ability of the team to attract sponsors, which he said had been a problem at the team.

Tsheole said he would be a strategic figure and would not be involved in the day-to-day running of the team.

“I am going to be assisting at a broader visionary policy level as in a strategy level of the club and I can only achieve that through their support,” he said. ENDS