21 Jun 2022

 With a tally of 24 goals in the just ended Botswana Premier League season,  Jwaneng Galaxy player, Thabang ‘Gaucho’ Sesinyi, fell short of breaking Terrance Mandaza’s 31-goal tally by six goals. Despite missing his target, Sesinyi’s believes there is always tomorrow. In seeking to know more about Sesinyi, BOPA caught up this 2021-22 top goal scorer. BOPA: Good morning Gaucho, how are you?

Sesinyi: I am fine, and thanks very much for having me.

BOPA: Let’s get straight to the point, who is Thabang Sesinyi?

Sesinyi: Okay my other name is Vincent. In football circles, they call me Gaucho. I am 29 years, a Palapye native, playing for Jwaneng Galaxy as a winger or striker.

BOPA: Ok Vincent, when did you start playing football?

Sesinyi: I started playing football when I was six years old. I got the inspiration from my uncle, who was also playing football for a local team in Selebi Phikwe and he was good. I always admired him when he was playing and I wanted to be like him.

BOPA: Now when and where did you start playing professional football?

Sesinyi: I started in Pilikwe under a development side, Pilikwe United, owned by Fobby Radipotsane. I must admit I did not play much there, it was only for six months after completing my Form 5 and waiting for my move to tertiary.

BOPA: What happened after the six months?

Sesinyi: Well, I came to Gaborone and attended trials for a few teams, amongst them Uniao Flamengo Santos, but I did not manage to make the cut. Hey! I continued with my aspiration to become a professional footballer.

BOPA: Then what was your next move after failing at Santos?

Sesinyi: Okay! I then went to a BDF XI development team, Matebejana, where I got registered and that alone gave me a morale booster.

BOPA: Carry on…

Sesinyi: Yeah! I played for Matebejana for a season, but I did not play much. However, my undying spirit of becoming a great football player kept me going.

BOPA: Did you stick to Matebejane, even though they did not give you game time?

Sesinyi: No! Not at all. I then moved to Notwane. I got registered, but I also played there for a short term. I played four games and scored one goal. Registering for Notwane was also a morale booster and I believed there was light at the end of the tunnel.

BOPA: ‘Johnny Walker’ - what happened after a season at Notwane?

Sesinyi: Ha Ha! At Notwane, there was a new coach.He made it clear that I would not make it into his team. Otherwise, I could have stayed longer there.

BOPA: Continue…

Sesinyi: Yes, they de-registered me, then I focused on my school at Limkokwing, studying Business Information Systems while at the same time playing Sunday soccer and BOTESSA Games which kept me busy during that window.

BOPA: When and where was your next move?

Sesinyi: Well! In 2013, I went to Orapa for school attachment, that was the same year Orapa United were promoted to Premier League. So, I went to try my luck.

BOPA: Oh! That is how you joined the Ostriches?

Sesinyi: No! I did not manage to sign, so I came back to school and when I finished school, I applied for Debswana apprenticeship programme in Orapa.

BOPA: So, you did not try ‘back love’ with Orapa United?

Sesinyi: I went back to Orapa United and that time the coach was Maxwell Moyo, but he did not register me.

BOPA: But at one point you played for Orapa United.

Sesinyi: Yeah! I think after a year or six months the league ended and Orapa United brought in Madinda Ndlovu as the new coach. So, I felt he was a different coach with a different perspective and I tried my luck again at Orapa United.

BOPA: Your road was full of hurdles.

Sesinyi: Yeah! Fortunately, Madinda saw something special in me. He gave me a chance and I grabbed it with both hands.

BOPA: And then what happened?

Sesinyi: 2015-2016 season that was when people started to know that there was a player called Thabang Sesinyi as I was banging goals in every game and people felt that was my breakthrough, something I disagree with.

BOPA: Why do you disagree?

Sesinyi: I think my breakthrough was at Notwane, even though I was not given enough game time, that is my thinking.

BOPA: Ok I hear you.

Sesinyi: Yes, while I was enjoying game time at Orapa, after a season, I was part of COSAFA squad in Namibia and while I was there, I attracted interest from a South African Club, Baroka and the other one in Egypt.

BOPA: I remember the Egypt move rumour, what happened?

Sesinyi: I did not know much about the Egyptian league, so I decided that I would rather go for a nearby team, so I chose to go to Baroka.

BOPA: And then what happened?

Sesinyi: When I got there from trials, I managed to impress them and they signed me, remember it was their first time in the elite league.

BOPA: There is something I want to understand, I heard there was a sort of a ‘scuffle’ between you and Orapa regarding your move.

Sesinyi: I wouldn’t say it was a scuffle, but Orapa United knew I was valuable to them. They wanted to be compensated, but Baroka felt Orapa was asking too much, given that they had just moved it in the Premier League, so they were not in a position to spend much.

BOPA: Oh! that is why the move did not materialise?

Sesinyi: Yes and for me personally because I was playing while still on apprenticeship and I did not have a professional contract with them. I felt hard done by Orapa United.

BOPA: Oh! the deal failed just like that?

Sesinyi: Ee Mma, just like that, so after my move to Baroka failed that is when Orapa United tried to offer me a contract, but I felt our relationship was not going to be good going forward and I told them that I would love to leave the club and would see where to go next.

BOPA: Just like that Thabang?

Sesinyi; Yes, but they did not believe me, they thought I was leaving them so that I could go back to Baroka for free, so I told them that I would be playing locally.

BOPA: Was that out of frustration that they derailed your move?

Sesinyi: I wouldn’t say it was much of frustration, but I thought it would disturb me, had I remained at Orapa because obviously if you were to see the same people whom you thought had stood in your way, honestly it was not going to give me a peace of mind.

BOPA: And that is when you joined Jwaneng Galaxy, right?

Sesinyi: Yeah! 2016-2017 I joined Galaxy for a season. When I got there, I met coach Michael ‘Dubula’ Sithole. I loved the team. Well, when I was at Orapa, I scored 15 goals but I was not a regular, so it was like I wanted a team where I knew I would get game time.

BOPA: And they gave you game time at Galaxy?

Sesinyi: Yeah! part of my decision to join Galaxy, I knew they would use me and I would not be coming from the bench and by that time clubs such as Township Rollers, Mochudi Centre Chiefs, BDF XI and Gaborone United, were after my signature.

BOPA: Shew! You were in demand!

Sesinyi: Yes! that time I thought Rollers were competitive and they had a coach who made it clear that he was rotating his squad every game. So, I felt like, if I went to play this game, next game I am not playing, I won’t see any progress on my side, so I would rather settle for a team that would play me regularly.

BOPA: So, you settled for Galaxy?

Sesinyi: By the time, Galaxy were not really a force to reckon with. I joined them when they were going for their second season in the Premier League. So, I thought there was enough space for me and I would do what I wanted to achieve. Fortunately, our season was a success. We won the Mascom Top 8 and we finished second on the league log.

BOPA: Ok you must have been happy after a little bit of frustration between you and Orapa United.

Sesinyi: It was water under the bridge, I was happy because I scored 15 goals in that season. That was only after six months of joining Galaxy and then again South African team, Platinum Stars, came knocking.

BOPA: And did Galaxy cooperate with Platinum Stars?

Sesinyi: Yeah, they were both professional and Galaxy told Platinum Stars that if they took me immediately, it was going to destabilise them, so they requested that I join Stars at the end of the season. When the season ended, Galaxy allowed me to join Platinum Stars in the 2017-2018 season.

BOPA: Tell me more about Platinum Stars.

Sesinyi: Yeah, when I got there, I found my former national team coach, James Butler, but unfortunately, he did not stay longer, then came in Rodger De-Sa, fortunately he was an honest coach.

BOPA: How so?

Sesinyi: Well, when he arrived, he just wanted to see everyone in the club and he made it clear that he was giving us a chance to see if we could help the team, so he was impressed with me and he pushed for my work permit. In the first two or three games that I played, I made assists and scored goals

BOPA: I remember your stay at Platinum Stars, you were red hot.

Sesinyi: Ha ha ha yeah, but the following year in March I got injured, I had a meniscus tear. That time the team was not doing well, which meant the focus was now on trying to save it and they were not really saying let’s get this guy help so that he could recover and come back. In June, I was then told I had to do an operation. Iyooo! and when I came back from operation which was successful, I had to go for rehab, which meant I had to be out for about six months.

BOPA: After rehab what happened?

Sesinyi: The team was then relegated, so my mission was not to play in the National First Division and considering that I was coming back from an injury, so I chose to come back home and recuperate close to my family without pressure.

BOPA: And then you came back to Galaxy in 2019.

Sesinyi: Yeah, but hey we were then distracted by COVID-19, sport had to be halted for two years, while Galaxy were playing competitive football at CAF.

BOPA: And we went then back to normal in football.

Sesinyi: Yeah, I told myself that I could still push and see what could happen this season and I am happy I am the top goal scorer after scoring 24 goals, of which it wasn’t really my target. I had wanted to bang 32 goals

BOPA: Really?

Sesinyi: Yes! because when I started playing professional football, I found that there was Terrence Mandaza’s record of 32 goals that was yet to be broken, so I wanted to challenge it, it was achievable, but you cannot always be clinical, but I didn’t beat myself down.

BOPA: I like your ambitions.

Sesinyi: Yeah I have ambitions of elevating my career and playing outside the country and I feel that is possible.

BOPA: Thank very much for you time Thabang

Sesinyi: Thanks for having me. ENDS