Moorosi Tsiane
VODACOM Premier League pacesetters, Kick4life hit-man Thapelo Tale (28) has struck a rich vein of goal scoring form for his new team after two disastrous seasons.
Popularly known in football circles as Nana, Tale joined the Old Europa-based outfit after a forgettable spell at champions Lioli where he played less than 180 minutes in six months.
Before his Lioli sojourn, Tale spent the 2015/16 season watching from the sidelines due to raging contractual disputes with his former club, F.C Likhopo.
However, the second round of the 2016/17 season has witnessed the rebirth of Tale who announced his arrival at Kick4Life with a brace in his debut against Sandawana a fortnight ago in the LNIG Top8 first leg quarter final match to help his side to a 5-3 win.
He showed this was no fluke last week when he repeated the feat against rookies Sky Battalion to set his side on their way to a comprehensive 3-0 victory in the league.
“I went through a rough patch in the past two seasons and I am glad that it is finally over and I am focusing on the future,” Tale recently told the Sunday Express.
The stocky striker attributed his fine form to hard work and commitment to his job, adding he was never given time to prove his worth at Lioli.
“This comes from the hard work and my commitment to the game. It’s finally paying off and it is a pity that with Lioli I didn’t get enough time to prove myself as I only played one full match and from there I was coming off the bench in the last five to 10minutes.”
The former Likuena striker who had spells with FK Srem and FC Andorra in Serbian and Spain respectively, said he was focused on helping his side to their maiden title.
He said reuniting with the former Likuena mentor, Leslie Notši also played a big part in his revival.
“Les is a very straight-talking person and always say things as they are. He is one of the best coaches I have ever worked with and it feels good working with him again and this time at the club level.
“He has played a big part in my career and helps me to be a better player every day and I am very fortunate to have someone who believes in me,” Tale said.
He also said that he had learnt that working hard and maintaining focus was the best way of dealing with negative criticism that sometimes came his way from soccer fans.
“People never stop talking and I came to realise that to shut their mouths I have to continue working hard and focusing on my career.
“There is still a room for improvement because I have many things I want to achieve including playing outside the country,” he added.