Botswana international striker Thabang Sesinyi has opened up on why he opted for a transfer to Marumo Gallants from Jwaneng Galaxy amid massive interest locally and outside Botswana.
Gallants recently announced the signing of Sesinyi, along with 11 other new acquisitions. The 33-year-old arrives at Bahlabane ba Ntwa with a glowing reputation from his exploits in recent seasons for Jwaneng Galaxy.
In the last five years, he has scored at least 20 goals across all competitions in four seasons, making him hot property in the transfer market. But he turned down offers from a number of clubs in Botswana and in the PSL.
The Zebras striker was also linked to reigning Tanzania champions Young Africans. Tanzania has become an appealing destination not only for South African players and coaches but also for West African footballers. Former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi is the head coach at Young Africans, where Peter Shalulile joined him.
At Yanga’s fierce rivals, Simba SC, ex-Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker is in charge while the likes of Neo Maema, Rushwin de Reuck and Keletso Makgalwa are at the club as well.
HOW MARUMO GALLANTS WON THABANG SESINYI’S SIGNATURE
Young Africans have won the Tanzanian Premier League consecutively in the last five seasons and will be playing in the CAF Champions League in the upcoming season. But Sesinyi settled for Gallants, who were fighting against relegation in the Betway Premiership last season.
They narrowly escaped demotion by ending the campaign 14th on the table with just a point more than basement side Orbit College FC.
“I was getting a lot of offers. Yanga wanted me, but I don’t wanna go too much into detail because, in the end, the project Marumo showed me made more sense football-wise. There were also two clubs from Saudi Arabia and others in South Africa who wanted me,” Sesinyi told FARPost.
“I think with Marumo I would say it’s the effort they showed and their persistence in signing me. That on its own sold hope to me. I saw the kind of effort they were putting in to get me, and they showed that they were very serious about me.
“I got convincing offers from other clubs, but with Marumo, it was not even about finances, but the effort. They even came to Botswana to talk to me.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE FOR SESINYI IN RETURNING TO THE BETWAY PREMIERSHIP
Sesinyi is no stranger to the Betway Premiership, having previously turned out for Platinum Stars during the 2017/18 season. But his previous stint in the South African top-flight league was unsuccessful as he managed just one goal in four appearances.
Besides being convinced by Gallants’ project, Sesinyi said the PSL’s competitiveness was also a decisive factor in him returning to South Africa.
“This is the second bite of the cherry because I was in the Betway Premiership before. The PSL is the most competitive league in Africa, and I couldn’t resist coming to play in such a league,” he added.
“If I’m to give just an example, you saw Mamelodi Sundowns being crowned African champions and they have been to the [FIFA] Club World Cup. Playing against such a team is exciting and challenging as well. As an ambitious player, I want to see myself in a challenging environment competing against the best.”
Sesinyi also explained the difficult decision he had to make when Platinum Stars were relegated at the end of the 2017/18 season.
“We got relegated with Platinum Stars. I’m an ambitious player, as I said, so when Platinum Stars went to the NFD, I decided to come back home and relaunch my career,” Sesinyi went on.
“I didn’t really make a mark for the team to keep me when they went down. It worked well because I had a good time at Jwaneng [Galaxy].”
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