It’s easy be get Star-struck in Bethlehem
Iam not too keen on this. I may be jumping the gun here. But I must say that what I saw at Free State Stars on Tuesday this week gave me some hope that our football is going somewhere.
Well, their facilities may not be as posh or lush as those in Naturena or Chloorkop but I was in awe that a team perceived as a small team who could be relegated any day have invested in such facilities which will obviously leave a lasting legacy in the small town of Bethlehem.
I was a part of a media contingent transported there on Tuesday as part of the build up to the Nedbank Cup semifinals which are taking place this weekend. Ea Lla Koto as the side are known play Chiefs at Moses Mabhida Stadium tonight.
On the bus we reminisced about the times Bab’Mike Mokoena’s side made some bold strides. And the players who have come through them and made it big in the game. Even Steve Komphela, who is now coach at Chiefs, was groomed there and got his first break into the professional ranks through this team.
The club have come through the worst of times from their days as Fairway Stars. They changed to QwaQwa Stars and later to their current name. They sold their status and folded when the Premier Soccer League shed two teams from 18 to 16. But they returned
Sibongiseni Gumbi
and the fans have remained loyal. It was good to see some people wearing the club’s colours around town. I think I counted four or five of them which gives an indication that they love and appreciate having Ea Lla Koto in town.
It was, however, a little disturbing to hear that some of the fans have been dragging their feet after the Mokoenas tried to sell the club to Moroka Swallows. It is also understandable in a way because the fans felt betrayed.
When the failed transaction was being negotiated I learnt that the Mokoenas had felt the financial burden of running the club was getting a little too much to bear. This is one of the reasons why the side have to put a few of their star performers up for sale at the end of every season because they don’t have a sponsor. But I am sure that if corporates saw the modest facilities they would be proud to offer assistance so they could be upgraded and be able to accommodate more youngsters which gives more of them a chance of making something of their lives.
The club is run professionally and with honesty. They seem like people who have nothing to hide. The honesty with which general manager Rantsie Mokoena answered questions about the much publicised interest on their coach Luc Eymael proved what I just said.
The one thing I didn’t like though is that it has been 19 years since the side won any silverware. This means some of the players in their current squad were not even born when the team last lifted a trophy. But there is the Nedbank Cup. Who knows. They might just take it and chart a new path for the side. The people of Bethlehem deserve as much. One hopes what he saw was not just a show put on because the media was in town.