Down Memory lane with Gunners legend
Source : Kutlwano
Author : Baleseng Batlotleng
Location : Lobatse
Event : Interview
Scara Kebalepile set the local football scene alight with an amazing repertoire of dazzling footwork.
Simply put, Scara had magic in his left foot that could make the ball talk.
Kutlwano caught up with the former Extension Gunners left back magician deep in the heart of Woodhall location in Lobatse and reminisced fondly about the glory days he spent at the Lobatse side.
It was in this location that Scara was born on April 15, 1968.
To be honest, despite his popularity, in terms of international football Scara did not really make the grade. In the local league he was one playmaker known to combine pin point passing, exquisite vision and a natural left foot.
At the height of their successful campaign in the elite league, Gunners boasted a crème of the crop in the mould of Joshua Jojo Mogotsi, Tornado Bokole, Kenneth Jere, and Joe Tembo amongst others, and in turn dished out beautiful football.
The high point of his career was the 90s when he joined a Gunners team that hauled all the silverware on offer.
In his maiden season Scara won the President`s Cup and went on to be crowned Castle League Champion from 1991 to 1993.
In between the years Scara produced another polished performance to help his team win the coveted Coca Cola Championships, the Supreme Challenge Cup and inaugural Kabelano Charity Cup.
His individual performance was finally recognised when he won the Coca Cola Cup Flair Player of the tournament.
The facts do not lie. Scara had the football fans eating from the palm of his hand. In the last days of his footballing career he had a brief coaching spell at Maletamotse.
Baleseng: Heita bra Scara…..can you take us down memory lane….where did it all start?
Scara: yaa! I started off in the dusty ground that you see just behind us here. This is where we played football every day with the likes of Chicken Dennison (nephew to former Notwane dribbling wizard, William Paymaster Dennison).
I made the grade at Maletamotse Football Club U15 when I was still a student at Newlook Primary School.
I went to Itsoseng in Lichtenburg to do my Junior Certificate and played for a couple of teams there including Junior Chiefs, Shepherd Bucks and Giant Aces.
On my way back I was immediately signed by Maletamotse but was recruited by Lobatse Stars. In the late 80`s I was spotted by Horatio Mahloane who was a star player with Gaborone United and invited me to join his team.
I only played for one season with the Gaborone giants before my father and former Gunners chairman, Rashid Chopdat, travelled to Gaborone and took me to Peleng to join Gunners.
I came to Gunners in 1988 and found an intact team that was hard to crack into the starting lineup. They had amongst others Jackie MacLeans, Tebogo Motswagae and States Hirschfield. That`s where the ball started rolling.
Baleseng: …and your style of play, you are considered one of the players who were skillful and entertaining, something of a fans` favorite. What made you so special?
Scara: When I was still with Junior Chiefs I used to watch a certain gentleman called Elias Hotane play. He actually taught me that football was not all about playing but entertainment.
He could talk to the ball and it responded quite obviously. He took me to their training sessions and I learnt a few tricks and could even wake up at the dead of the night and try a few of his tricks.
That is how I got to learn to communicate with the ball. The rest is history.
Baleseng: Share with us your memorable moment in your colourful career?
Scara: I had a few moments that can go down very well as the best.
But my greatest moment would obviously be the time I spent at Extension Gunners. We had the best team. We also had the best management during that time. It was under the guidance of our Zambian coach Kenny Mwape that Gunners became unstoppable.
I also had a stint at Notwane and won a few medals with them.
They also had some of the finest players the country has ever had in the mould of the late Shono Madonsela Ngaka, Maybin Chama and Robo Khonzapi, amongst others.
During the 1997 Coke Cup final against rookies Mokgosi Young Fighters I scored a beautiful goal that can also go down well as my best.
(As an overlapping left back Scara had spotted Mokgosi goalkeeper Steven Sebikiri off his line, the keeper had anticipated Scara to sway in a cross but he decided to go for goal.)
Baleseng: You had a short stint with the national team; let us now talk about your stay at the Zebras camp?
Scara: My national team call up came immediately after we (Gunners) played Township Rollers and that was in 1990 to be precise. I never really made the break in the national team line up mainly because of a number of reasons known to the technical team then.
I actually carried an injury into my first camp against Mauritius. All I now remember is that I featured for the Zebras when we went through a string of embarrassing losses in our CAF Qualifiers.
One of the games was the 6-0 drubbing we suffered against Cote d`Ivoire.
Baleseng: Which player gave you a hard time whenever you played against them?
Scara: Ijaja…..It will always be Jomo ‘Nobody` Mosweu and the best midfielder TAFIC has ever produced, Mmoloki ‘Besto-Bell` Sechele. Those two braa yame were gifted.
Baleseng: ……and the current crop of players who reminds you of your heydays?
Scara: I`m still struggling to identify a single player who plays entertaining football. I have watched Dirang several times and eh…..ok.. he can show class ha a batla.
Baleseng: Thank you very much, talk to you soon Jabu….
Scara: Sure bra… Ends
Teaser:
"I had a few moments that can go down very well as the best. But my greatest moment would obviously be the time I spend at Extension Gunners. We had the best team. We also had the best management during that time. It was under the guidance of our Zambian coach Kenny Mwape that Gunners became unstoppable."
