Sera ends Marumo Gallants training stint after emergency trip home

Lesotho striker Motebang Sera has ruled out signing for Marumo Gallants after cutting short a brief training spell with the club to return home for a family emergency.

The 31-year-old confirmed he had trained with Gallants, known as Bahlabane Ba Ntwa, for only two days during their pre-season camp at Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria before leaving to attend to what he described as an urgent matter in Lesotho.

Sera, who is currently without a club, had been hoping to secure a deal with the Motsepe Foundation Championship side after his departure from Venda FC at the end of last season.

“I was there at Marumo. But I only trained with them for about two days. I had to go home (in Lesotho) to attend to an emergency. It was very urgent,” he told Soccer Laduma.

“And I didn’t go back to Marumo, because I realized there is an issue of time as they are preparing for the season and all those things. I didn’t get enough time to train with them.”

The forward has now confirmed that, as a result, there will be no contract with Marumo Gallants.

No deal after pre-season opportunity

Soccer Laduma had previously reported that Sera was “trying his luck” with Gallants during their early pre-season preparations in Pretoria, as the club builds towards the new campaign.

However, his absence following the emergency trip home has effectively ended any prospect of an agreement, with Sera acknowledging that he missed the window to make his case for a deal while the squad continued their work.

Gallants, who were relegated from South Africa’s top-flight before returning via promotion and have since dropped back into the second tier, have been reshaping their squad ahead of the new season.

Sera, meanwhile, is now focused on finding another club.

Former PSL regular seeking new chapter

The Lesotho international is best known in South Africa for his spells with Royal AM, Golden Arrows and Venda FC.

Across his time in the DStv Premiership, Sera scored 14 goals in 95 appearances, operating primarily as a central striker but also capable of playing in wider attacking roles.

He spent the 2025-26 campaign with Venda FC in the Motsepe Foundation Championship, having moved there after leaving the top division.

Sera has not disclosed any talks with other clubs, but made it clear he is keen to secure a new team “soon” as he looks to continue his professional career following the breakdown of the potential move to Marumo Gallants.

While his short stay with Bahlabane Ba Ntwa has ended without a contract, Sera remains part of a group of experienced free agents searching for opportunities ahead of the upcoming season in South Africa and elsewhere on the continent.