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NewsDay

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Botswana star Mogorosi scores a first

Sport
Botswana Zebras and Mochudi Centre Chiefs striker Joel Mogorosi is relishing the opportunity of becoming the first Motswana player to ply his trade in Zimbabwes top-flight football for last years league runners-up FC Platinum. Speaking from his base in Gaborone yesterday, Mogorosi, who injured his arm during his countrys preparations for their maiden appearance in […]

Botswana Zebras and Mochudi Centre Chiefs striker Joel Mogorosi is relishing the opportunity of becoming the first Motswana player to ply his trade in Zimbabwes top-flight football for last years league runners-up FC Platinum.

Speaking from his base in Gaborone yesterday, Mogorosi, who injured his arm during his countrys preparations for their maiden appearance in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, yesterday said he was waiting for the due processes to be completed before knowing when he would be coming to Zimbabwe.

I dont know yet when I will be coming to Zimbabwe. You can ask the guys there, they should know better. But playing in the Zimbabwe Premier League will be something good for me and something to remember.

I will be very happy. I know that no one from this side has ever played in that league. I have to be there first to make comparisons, but for now I can say Zimbabwe has a better league, Mogorosi said.

After this revealing in December last year that FC Platinum were chasing for the signature of Mogorosi, this publication last month established that the striker had penned a three-year deal with the platinum miners after he visited the country with his chairman Ernest Malome.

Yesterday, Platinum secretary-general Phil Muvengwa confirmed as much, saying they were still making frantic efforts to bring the striker to Zvishavane and had already submitted his name with the Premier Soccer League (PSL) for registration by last Fridays deadline.

Our intention is to do that and we are working towards that (bringing him in). There is work that is still in progress and we submitted his name with the PSL, Muvengwa said.

Mogorosi said missing the Africa Cup of Nations was a sad experience for him.

Missing Afcon was part of life, I felt bad. I am recovering from the injury. I am not fully recovered but its promising and I am ready to start playing, Mogorosi said.

Mogorosi was not registered for the Caf Champions League, but if Platinum reach the mini-league phase of the competition, the striker will be available.

They drew 2-2 with Sudans El Merreikh on Saturday in the first round first leg of the Champions League at Rufaro Stadium and face an uphill task in the return leg in Sudan.

Mogorosi played under Platinum coach Rahman Gumbo at Mochudi Centre Chiefs in 2010.

He left Township Rollers for Cyprus in 2006 where he played for AEP Paphos before joining APOP Kinyras Peyias the following year and returned to Rollers, a team he captained before signing for Mochudi in 2010.

He has previously signed a pre-contract with South African Premiership side Orlando Pirates. Sources yesterday told NewsDay Sport that Platinum have made full payments for Mogorosi to Mochudi and he now officially belongs to the Zimbabwe team.

Efforts to get a comment from Mochudis communications manager Cliff Mogomotsi were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered yesterday.

Madinda Ndlovu now coaches Mochudi, who are the log pacesetters and look set to clinch the be-Mobile championship.