SEDIBENG.- As it stands, Sedibeng might find itself without a top-flight football team in the new season unless one team from this region earns promotion to the ABC Motsepe League. However, this seems nearly impossible.
The next question then becomes, “What needs to be done for Vaal to have a representative in top-flight football?”
The reason we might find ourselves without top-flight football next season is that Platinum City Rovers and Marumo Gallants FC are candidates for relegation at the end of the Motsepe Foundation Championship. These two teams currently sit at the bottom of the league standings, with six games remaining before the end of the 2023/2024 season. Despite their precarious positions, much like terminally ill patients with few days left to live, these teams remain optimistic about avoiding relegation by season’s end.
However, the writing is on the wall indicating that either one or both of them will be relegated to the lower division unless a miracle occurs. If these two teams are relegated, it means there will be no more top-flight football in this region. Rovers and Gallants are among the teams that use Isak Steyl Stadium for their home games in the Motsepe Foundation Championship. At one point, four Motsepe Foundation Championship teams used the venue, Isak Steyl Stadium, for their official home games.
Furthermore, other teams have since left for reasons known to them, with Hungry Lions and La Masia FC among those that initially enjoyed using our facilities at the start of the season. However, we can’t blame them because, in the first place, they do not belong to this region. Sedibeng doesn’t have a team that plays in top-flight football, and the highest level we compete in is the third division, surprisingly!
Therefore, we can’t rely on teams from outside the region. It’s disheartening for soccer fans who used to fill this venue to capacity every weekend, especially on Saturday afternoons. It is sad because, as a region, we haven’t produced a top-flight football club for the past 30 years since Vaal Professionals were relegated from top-flight football. Vaal Pros was the pride of Vaal, and teams like Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, and Mamelodi Sundowns knew the challenge of playing in Vaal. They often returned home empty-handed!
Gone are the days when local soccer fans would pack Kawa Masiza Stadium and Zamdela Stadium to capacity.
The looming question is, “Will we see top-flight football return soon?”
