The Monitor (Botswana)

Rollers, Galaxy Bolster Squads

- Staff Writer

Premier League giants, Township Rollers and Jwaneng Galaxy continue to bolster their squads as preparatio­ns for the new season gather momentum. National champions, Jwaneng Galaxy yesterday announced five new signings.

Besides looking to defend their league title, Galaxy are also preparing for their second CAF Champions League appearance. Rentse Keakabetse, who was released by GU, has been confirmed as new Galaxy player. The team has also announced the arrival of

Thuso Monyama from TAFIC, Tshephang Boithatelo from Morupule Wanderers, Boikobo Osupile from Mahalapye Railways as well as Mphoyamodi­mo Keiponye from Notwane. Galaxy have already lost two key players, Thero Setsile and Lebogang Ditsele to Orapa United and GU respective­ly. Rollers on the other hand announced the arrival of two Ivorians, Aaron Marc Dion and Goze Angel Oliver Eric thereby filling the two remaining gaps for foreign players.

The Gaborone giants already have Kamogelo Matsabu from South Africa in their books. Dion who is 22 years of age is said to be a striker and expected to fill in the gap left by Tumisang Orebonye who is now plying his trade in Morocco.

Nineteen year-old Eric is a midfielder. Although the arrival of the two youngsters has excited some, others have cast doubts on their true potential considerin­g the club’s history with signing foreign players. In the last 10 years, players arrived with huge expectatio­ns at Rollers only to fail to live up to expectatio­ns. The likes of Jerome Louis, Lawrence Majawa and Kamogelo Matsabu have proved to be significan­t additions to the squad but many of their foreign colleagues have failed to adapt.

The likes of Ivan Mbowa, Evans Gwekwerere, Ivan Ntege, Pape Ndaw and Carl Finnigan have all failed to live up to their pre-arrival hype. Rollers chief executive officer (CEO), Bennett Mamelodi recently admitted in his weekly column that the club has not been doing well on their recruitmen­t policy of foreign players.

Before the two youngsters’ arrival, Rollers had already bolstered their squad with another midfielder, Kutlwelo Mpolokang. They have also signed Lebopo Moremi from rivals, Gaborone United (GU). Meanwhile, Rollers have announced that they have successful­ly managed to develop a company model after years of legal challenges regarding the matter.

They have also denied that attorney Kgosietsil­e Ngakayagae is a shareholde­r in the company but rather a trustee as a company attorney.

“Ngakaagae now sits on the new Rollers board as a director alongside club president, Jagdish Shah, chairman Walter Kgabung, secretary-general, Khumo Masonya, PRO Bafana Pheto and CEO Bennett Mamelodi,” the club announced on its social media platform.

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