SEDIBENG.-As things stand, Sedibeng might find itself without a top-flight football come the new season, unless one team from this region gets promoted to the ABC Motsepe League.
This seems to be mission impossible.
We might find ourselves without top-flight football next season because Platinum City Rovers and Marumo Gallants FC are relegation candidates at the end of the Motsepe Foundation Championship. These two teams are last and second at the bottom of the log with six games remaining before the end of the 2023/2024 season. However, just like terminally ill patients with few days left to live, these teams remain optimistic that they will avoid relegation at the end of the season.
Rovers and Glallants are among other teams that use Isak Steyl Stadium, in Vanderbijlpark, for their home games for the Motsepe Foundation Championship. At one stage, four Motsepe Foundation Championship, teams used the venue, Isak Steyl Stadium for their official home game.
Other teams have since left for reasons known to them, and Hungry Lions and La Masia FC were among the teams that enjoyed the freedom of our facilities at the beginning of the season. However, we can’t blame them because, in the first place, they don’t belong in this region.
Sedibeng doesn’t have a team that plays in the top-flight football and the highest level we compete in is in the third division. So, we can’t rely on the teams that come from outside.
I feel sorry for those soccer fans who used to pack this venue to capacity every weekend.
It is sad because as a region we haven’t produced a top-flight football club for the past 30 years after Vaal Professional was relegated from top-flight football. Vaal Pros was the only pride of Vaal and teams like Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, and Mamelodi Sundowns, knew what it was like to take a short trip to Vaal.
They would go home empty-handed!
Gone are those days when the local soccer fans would pack the Kawa Masiza Stadium and Zamdela Stadium to capacity.
The question is, are we going to have top-flight football soon?
