LIBREVILLE, Gabon -- Before Diphetogo “Dipsy” Selolwane (Se-lol-wa-ni) was able to build a successful career in the South African Premier Soccer League, he first had to go to America.
For the 34-year-old Botswana attacking midfielder, who will conclude his twelve-year international career on Wednesday when the Zebras play Mali in Libreville, the notion still rankles.
“The thing that bothered me is that I had to go halfway around the world to get some sort of recognition. A South African newspaper did an interview with me and the title of the article was ’Made in America.’ I’m from Botswana.”
Selolwane’s road trip began in 2000 at Harris-Stowe State University, a tiny historically black college in midtown St. Louis that happened to have a big-time NAIA soccer program.
Harris-Stowe coach Dennis Currier, who has since moved on to Dayton, recruited Selolwane along with other promising players from around the globe.
“It was good. We had a lot of foreign players, African, Brazilian, all over. The only American was the goalkeeper, so I didn’t really feel too far from home. I had my African homeboys there.”
Selolwane’s anticipated scholarship fell through, so he had to cobble together support from family and work his way through college.
“Going there helped me become the man that I am. When you leave home you think you’re going to the land of milk and honey, but there we were, we had to work off-campus and on-campus. That kind of responsibility really opened our eyes.”
Selolwane credits Currier for pointing him the right direction.
“He was really good, a father figure, a friend to most of us. We were far from home, young ambitious guys, trying to make ends meet and trying to get a degree while we’re at it.”
Selolwane transferred to the big-time Division 1 program at Saint Louis University for his final year of eligibility, was named a first-team All-American forward, and was selected in the third round of the 2002 MLS SuperDraft by the Chicago Fire.
After a brief spell with Vejle, a bankrupt club in the Danish second division, Selolwane returned to Chicago and joined Bob Bradley’s Eastern Conference power, which would lose to San Jose in the finals of the 2003 MLS Cup.
“Bradley drafted me. A good guy, loved the sport. He was a player’s coach. It was a really good team. [Bulgarian International Hristo] Stoichov was there. DaMarcus Beasley. Zach Thornton. Carlos Bocanegra.”
Selolwane had trouble cracking the Chicago line-up, but he absorbed off-field lessons he hopes to apply in Africa one day.
