The Zebras attacking midfielder Mothusi Cooper has signed a short-term contract with Jwaneng Galaxy in a move calculated to give the player more international exposure and possibly attract more international offers because Galaxy have qualified for the group stages of the CAF Champions’ League.
The squat 24-year old was declared a free agent earlier last month after successfully winning his case against his former team Lusaka Dynamos. Cooper had opted to terminate his contract with the club using the “just cause” clause following a wage dispute after he had not been paid for more than three months.
According to Cooper’s agent, Bakang Moipone, the highly skillful right-footed player’s contract with Galaxy will run until the end of the 2021/22 season. “With Galaxy playing in the CAF Champions’ League group stages, it means Cooper will get much-needed international exposure that may come with more international offers,” Moipone said in a telephone interview.
“We are talking about someone who is very talented with age on his side. Those two elements can enable him to play for any team in Africa. It is important for people to understand that this move is not monetary-based and that Cooper did not even get a signing-on fee. We just want him to keep fit as he continues to weigh his international offers.
“Teams from North Africa, South Africa and Zambia are willing to sign him in the coming months. That is why we couldn’t commit to a long term contract with Galaxy. It is just that foreign quota restrictions are blocking them from signing him at the moment and most teams that are after him are willing to sign him in June next year June.”
Moipone explained that the Galaxy arrangement is flexible enough for Cooper to leave even in January without any fees involved should a serious offer come January. “We have a clause in our contract with Galaxy which enables that,” he said. “Our main target is for the player to play internationally and we were keen to avoid anything that could block him.”
