Jomo Sono to attend Township Rollers fixture in Botswana

South African football legend Jomo Sono will be the guest of honour when Township Rollers host Extension Gunners at the National Stadium in Gaborone on Sunday.

The Botswana club are particularly pleased to welcome the former player and coach, with chairman Thapelo Pabalinga saying Sono’s visit could help revive important links and support the team’s ambitions.

Pabalinga, who became Township Rollers chairman in January this year, said Sono’s appearance formed part of his efforts to restore the club to its former status while rebuilding relationships with teams elsewhere in Africa.

“We are overly excited to be hosting Mr Jomo Sono as Township Rollers,” Pabalinga told Soccer Laduma.

Township Rollers have a long-standing connection with Jomo Cosmos, the South African club founded and owned by Sono. Pabalinga said the Botswana side wanted to renew that relationship.

“For many years Township Rollers has had a relationship with (Jomo) Cosmos. So these are relationships that we would like to resuscitate,” he said.

The chairman said he was working to reshape the club after taking charge earlier this year, with Sono’s visit representing an important moment in that process.

“As you may be aware, I’ve been the chairman of Township Rollers since January this year. So I’m really trying to reshape the team back to its glory and resuscitate relationships that we’ve had in the past with other teams across Africa,” Pabalinga added.

Sono is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in South African football. Pabalinga said having him attend one of Township Rollers’ biggest fixtures of the season was a source of great satisfaction for the club.

“So Mr Jomo Sono needs no introduction. He’s one of the best brains in football in Africa. So him coming to be a guest at one of the biggest fixtures we have this season is something that pleases our hearts,” he said.

Pabalinga also welcomed the opportunity to benefit from Sono’s experience and guidance on football matters.

“His counsel and his advice on anything football-related are always a welcome development. So we are excited to be hosting Mr Jomo Sono and look forward to it.”