How it all came to be...
Dipsy Selolwane grew up in a soccer family in Gaborone, Botswana often times playing in the streets until the sun went down and he couldn't see the ball anymore. Everyone seemed to play soccer and it was second nature to Selolwane. He describes soccer facilities and playing conditions here in the United States as so much nicer than the facilities he grew up with in Botswana. But Selolwane had a love for the game and nothing could stop him from playing.
When he was 6 years-old, Selolwane joined his first club team, Liverpool. With Liverpool, Selolwane worked hard to become the best he could be. He played with Liverpool until he entered high school, the Gaborone Secondary School, where Selolwane worked hard on his game and switched clubs and became a member of the Manchester Futbol Club.
After playing with Manchester, Selolwane had a brief four-month stint with the Athletico Hawks in Division 2. He then moved on to play club soccer for Gaborone United in Botswana's Premier League. It was here that Selolwane caught the attention of the Under-17 Botswana National Team. He played with the National Team making his way up from the Under-17 to the Under-23 team.
Selolwane decided to take his talent to the United States and played one season at Harris Stowe State College in St. Louis before transferring to Saint Louis University. At Harris Stowe State College, Selolwane was named NAIA second-team All-America in 2000 and NAIA All-Tournament team. He scored a school record 35 goals and his 76 points ranked second nationally in NAIA. Even more, Selolwane was named First-team All-American Midwest Conference and the coveted conference title, Freshman of the Year.
The 27-year-old Botswanan continued his success at Saint Louis University. Selolwane was an NSCAA first-team All-American and first-team All-Midwest Region selection. Also, he was tied as the nation's leading scorer with 54 points (25 goals and 4 assists) and, impressively, led the nation in goals scored for the Billikens.
After much success in the United States, Selolwane took his talents back overseas where he played in Denmark for four months. But the United States and the MLS wanted Selolwane and his talent back on their playing fields. The Chicago Fire selected Selolwane in the Third Round (36th overall) of the 2002 MLS SuperDraft and from there made his MLS debut on September 22, 2002 at Columbus when he entered as an 89th minute sub for Peter Nowak in the Fire's 2-1 win. The next year, in his first full season with the Fire, Selolwane appeared in five games (starting one) and registered his first three career points on one goal and one assist. After seeing little playing time in his first two seasons with the Fire, Selolwane earned his role as the Fire's resident "super-sub" in 2004 and scored four points on a pair of goals in his last season with Chicago.
Selolwane's is now in Salt Lake City, Utah where he will play for Real Salt Lake. RSL acquired Selolwane via a trade with the Chicago Fire for future MLS SuperDraft pick on 12/30/05. Selolwane is really growing to like Salt Lake City and thinks the community has really embraced him and the team. He says the coaches are great, training sessions are interesting and his teammates are one-of-a-kind.
Coach Ellinger's Call...
"I followed Dipsy at Saint Louis University where he had a great year. He is a quality goal scorer and very versatile; we had to find a place for him on the field. He is a very crafty player with the ball at his feet and his technique allows him to get out of tight spaces easily. Dipsy will break out one of these games and we are excited to have him."
Field Vision: Defender Evan Whitfield says...
"Dipsy is a crafty player and very unassuming. There are bigger and stronger forwards but when Dipsy has the ball it is hard to take it off his feet. He's got great moves and fakes and he makes defenders look silly sometimes."
Things you need to know...
Nickname:
Dipsy, "Daju"
Major in College:
Marketing
Favorite music:
Kwaito, Rap, House
Favorite movie:
The Gods Must Be Crazy
Favorite food:
Pap and steak, a Botswanan dish he loves to eat when he's at home
Favorite athlete outside of soccer:
Michael Jordan, Glody Dube
Charities/causes:
Fight against AIDS in Africa
