Juluka bows out
Veteran striker, Joel ‘ Juluka’ Mogorosi to retire after winning his 9th league title
Gaborone United veteran strike Joel Mogorosi is one player who has had the courage to seek his success in football and there is no doubt he has achieved it all.
This week, Mogorosi celebrated his 9th league title when Gaborone United won the Botswana Football League ( BFL) after a hard fought 1- 0 victory against Jwaneng Galaxy at the National Stadium.
Mogorosi is now the most decorated player in local football history, having won 6 league titles with Township Rollers, 2 league titles with Mochudi Center Chiefs and one with Gaborone United.
“I have won 9 league titles and I don’t think there is anyone locally who has won as many league titles as I have,” he said in an interview this week.
“It’s a proud moment for me honestly, all these medals are a sign of my hard work and dedication to the beautiful game so I am very proud of that, it’s not easy to win the league with Mochudi Center Chiefs, Township Rollers and Gaborone United but here I am,” he said.
As the saying goes - a good dancer knows when it is time to leave the stage - Mogorosi is drawing the curtain down on his illustrious football career as he believes that he is at the twilight of his career; he is leaving the stage when the cheers are loud and the affection is still there from his die hard fans.
“The FA Cup final should be my last game, I am confident, we will play the final and I want it to be very memorable for me and my teammates; I want to leave the stage for the upcoming players who I have seen dominating the scenes.” He says he will not be lost to football, “I don’t know what I will do but I have been a footballer my whole life so I will not be lost to football honestly.”
Spit- fire, as he is affectionately known in the football circles, has led a sterling football career, having played across the border in South Africa, where he helped his side, Bloemfontein Celtic to the Telkom Knockout trophy, emerging as the tournament’s best player.
He had a short spell with Cypriot side, A. E Paphos and APOP Kinyras from 2006 until 2008; the speedy winger would later return home to join his former Club, Township Rollers and later Mochudi Center Chiefs where he won several league titles.
Juluka has won every local cup available on local soil, the FA Cup, Top 8 and the league title, but what will always be fresh in his memory is the coveted South African Telkom Knockout, which he won on foreign soil.
The former national team captain officially made his international debut on 31 May 2008 against Madagascar in a FIFA World Cup Qualifiers match where he scored his first goal during an African Cup of Nations ( AFCON) qualifiers match.
He was very pivotal in the National team’s success from 2010 to 2011 when they qualified for the 2012 Afcon; unfortunately for him, he did not play at the tournament due to injury that happened weeks before the tournament. The 37 year old has 83 national team caps and has scored 16 goals for the national team.
“I would have liked to play across Africa at club level, it’s something I have missed across my career but it’s time for the youngsters to take over now, they have learnt a lot from me now they should take centre stage.”