Hopes for pro soccer firing on four fronts

WHEN the ABC Motsepe League kicks off this weekend, the metro’s hopes of bringing professional soccer to the region will be firing on four fronts.

Lion City, Swartkops Valley United Brothers and Callies competed in the league last year.

Since then Callies have undergone a transformation and rebranded as PE Stars at a function held at the Gelvandale Stadium.

The new-look team consists of several new players including Zanoxolo Mduli who was one of the stars of the recent Nedbank Ke Yona Challenge, and Bulumnokob Tseki from Chilli Boys.

But Sibanye are the new kids on the block after buying East London’s Mighty Bucks franchise.

According to the new club’s chief executive, Brendon Bosman, Sibanye’s journey to the Motsepe League began six years ago when a group of players wanted to enter a team in an off-season five-a-side tournament.

With the assistance of Sibanye Electrical Contractors, the team entered the competition and have never looked back.

Between 2011 and last year, Sibanye won this tournament a record four times. The team continued to enter tournaments and won, including the Cell Cup.

Buoyed by their success, the players put a team together to enter 11-a-side tournaments.

“But getting entry into tournaments was not easy as we were not affiliated to any league,” Bosman said. “We applied to play in the Nafa Easter tournament and tournaments in East London and Alice.

“Two years ago, we were accepted to play in Alice and won the tournament. After being turned down the previous year, our entry for the Nafa tournament was accepted last year – and again we won.”

The idea of participating in a professional league was born in 2014 and the group of players aggressively pursued the option culminating in the purchase of the Bucks franchise.

“Our dream is to become a community team that will unite various areas through soccer, areas that were previously divided through gangsterism and violence,” Bosman said.