Moorosi Tsiane
MEHALALITOE and Bloemfontein Celtic Ladies captain Boitumelo Rabale is set to leave the country on Thursday to join the Lewis & Clark Community College in the United States for a two-year full athletics scholarship.
Queen, as the left footed midfielder is affectionately known, will be playing College football in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) League alongside Mehalalitoe teammate Senate Letsie.
Rabale (21) will be the fifth local player on a similar programme instituted by local development outfit Kick4Life. She follows in the footsteps of Lesia Thetsane, Mako Makoanyane, Morapeli Lesoetsa and Letsie.
Thetsane and Makoanyane left the country in 2016 to State Fair Community College while Lesoetsa and Letsie moved to US last year and are studying at Lewis & Clark Community College.
She will be enrolling in the department of general studies for an Associate Degree.
Kick4Life director of football Chris Bullock told the Sunday Express that they have been discussing for some time and have been in discussions with the player and we are pleased that the move has finally materialised.
“Queen and I discussed the move a few years back and she has always been keen to move,” Bullock said.
“As I have worked quite closely with Queen in terms of helping her with the Celtic move and following her closely, we managed to generate interest in the US at various schools and we are happy that the Kick4Life academy staff helped facilitate it.”
He said that Celtic were also supportive of the move and have wished Rabale well.
“Celtic were very supportive of it. I met with Ntate Khumbalani Konco the Celtic chief executive officer and the Celtic Ladies coach Edwin Motlale with whom I have a good relationship and they were happy to let grab the opportunity. They also must be thanked for giving her the platform to perform at a such a high level be successful there,” he said.
Rabale joined Celtic in 2016 and has helped the team to win two consecutive Sasol League National Championships in 2016 and 2017 and was also named Diski Queen of the tournament.
Rabale has since left Celtic in June this year as she joined Mehalalitoe for their AFCON qualifiers against South Africa.
She has been training with Kick4Life on an intensive academy internship preparing her for the US move.
She trained alongside four other academy graduates in activities that include character development, intensive conditioning and technical training and tutoring of the current under-15 Academy players
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