GladAfrica Championship
Who are the contenders for promotion from the GladAfrica Championship this season? We run our eye over all 16 clubs to assess their potential.
The GladAfrica Championship season was still in its infancy at the turn of the year after a late start to the 2020-21 campaign, but there was still a chance to have a look at the squads and assess who may be contenders for a promotion push this year. There are newly-promoted clubs, rebranded teams and
some stalwart names in South African football all dreaming of a place in the DStv Premiership next season. KICK OFF’s Nick Said takes a look at the 16 clubs.
Bizana Pondo Chiefs
Stadium: King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium Coach: Tshepo Motsoeneng
Notable players: Mbongeni Mzimela, Musa Bilankulu
Bizana Pondo Chiefs won the ABC Motsepe League national play-offs at the end of last season and so spend their first campaign as a professional club having only been formed in 2015.
Bizana is a rural town in the Eastern Cape, but very close to the KwaZulu-Natal border. It may be little known to many, but has a special place in the history of South Africa having been the birth-place of both Oliver Reginald Tambo and Winnie Mandela, two stalwarts in the fight against Apartheid.
Owned by Nkosinathi Mqokiyana, the team is very much a community club, but given that their home venue last season was an open field in Bizana, they have been forced to move away from their supportbase for now.
They are playing at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban, a two-and-a-half hour drive up the KwaZulu-Natal south coast.
The team is coached by former Santos, Free State Stars and Chippa United goalkeeper Tshepo Motsoeneng, who has a budding reputation as a tactician to watch.
With perhaps not the budget of many teams in the division, the young squad is made up of local players with a smattering of individuals with PSL experience, such as ex-Lamontville Golden Arrows defender Musa Bilankulu, and former AmaZulu, Platinum Stars and Chippa United goalkeeper Mbongeni Mzimela.
Their goals for this season will be to cement their place in the second-tier and give themselves a platform from which to build, as well as find a more settled home.
Cape Town All Stars
Stadium: Parow Park
Coach: Dylan Deane
Notable players: Waseem Isaacs, Toriq Losper, Ndiviwe Mdabuka, Lucky Setelele
Cape Town All Stars make a return to the second-tier after buying their way back in with the re-purchase of the second-tier status of TS Galaxy at the end of last season.
Owner Lunga Ncwana had originally sold the club’s second-tier status to Galaxy at the end of the 2017/18 season, but bought it back when Rockets owner Tim Sukazi bought the top-flight status of Highlands
Park ahead of this season.
The club is coached by Dylan Deane, who was previously with Ajax Cape Town and has a solid reputation in the Mother City. He is assisted by Calvin Marlin, who was in charge at Ajax towards the end of last season.
They have a squad with plenty of experience, having brought in Waseem Isaacs from Stellenbosch FC, former Ajax stars Toriq Losper and Ndiviwe Mdabuka, and ex-Mamelodi Sundowns academy forward Lucky Setelele.
All Stars were promoted to the secondtier for the 2014-15 season and never finished below ninth in their four years in the division. They also provided a platform for players such as Thembinkosi Lorch and Luvuyo Memela to go on to much bigger things.
They will feel they have a shot at promotion with the squad they have this season.
Cape Town Spurs
Stadium: Cape Town Stadium
Coach: Vladislav Heric
Notable players: Keoikantse Mosiatlhaga, Riyaad Norodien, Lerato Manzini, Thobani Mncwango
The rebranded Ajax Cape Town have brought back a famous old name in Cape Town football having shed their Dutch connection and start their new life under vastly experienced coach Vladislav Heric. Their squad is a mix of academy players and aging stars with plenty of top-flight experience, but they have endured a difficult start to the campaign that will immediately have put Heric under pressure. Key to their season prospects is getting the top scorer from last campaign, Keoikantse Mosiatlhaga, back on the pitch after his struggles with injuries.
They should be promotion contenders, maybe even favourites, but they have been sluggish in the early weeks of the campaign.
Cape Umoya United
Stadium: Parow Park
Coach: Roger de Sa
Notable players: Manti Mekoa, Mark Mayambela, Michael Morton, Eleazar Rodgers
Roger de Sa has returned to coaching Cape Umoya United after taking a hiatus last season and has led the team to a solid start to the new campaign.
There is bags of experience in the side, with Mark Mayambela providing some flair, Michael Morton midfield solidity and Eleazar Rodgers a targetman to be the point of the attack.
There is certainly plenty of ambition within the club, and some cash, after they also tried to lure Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Darren Keet to the team last month following his exit from Belgian side OH Leuven.
The team was founded when they purchased the franchise of Platinum Stars ahead of the 2018-19 season, but have finished 10th and 11th in their two campaigns so far.
They will expect to be among the leading teams this season.
Free State Stars
Stadium: Goble Park
Coach: Allan Freese
Notable players: Paulus Masehe, Danny Venter, Abdel Fadel Suanon
Two-and-a-half years ago Free State Stars were Nedbank Cup champions and finished in sixth position in the top-flight, but their fall since then has been spectacular.
The club is almost unrecognisable these days and have recently appointed Allan Freese as coach, who won the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout with Platinum Stars in 2013 and was assistant coach when Highlands Park were promoted to the topflight in 2017/18 season.
Freese became available after being axed as assistant coach at AmaZulu when Benni McCarthy arrived in Durban last month.
They still have veteran Paulus Masehe in their ranks, who keeps going at the age of 37 and remains an important cog in their side.
They have made a mediocre start to the 2020-21 season but will hope the arrival of Freese sparks them into life.
JDR Stars
Stadium: Giant Stadium
Coach: Nditsheni Nemasisi Notable players: Badra Ali Sangaré, Temptation Chiwunga, Olwethu Ncube
Pretoria-based JDR Stars are owned and coached by attorney Nditsheni Nemasisi, whose deep passion for the game is admirable and makes him a popular
figure on the local circuit.
They won promotion via the ABC Motsepe League play-offs in the 2018-19 season and finished an admirable seventh last year in their maiden campaign, when it appeared for much of the season as though they may be promotion play-off contenders.
They will hope for better with one more season of second-tier experience under their belt, and have been solid enough in the early weeks of the current campaign.
Jomo Cosmos
Stadium: Olen Park
Coach: Jomo Sono
Notable players: Ayanda Gcaba, Seun Ledwaba, Ricardo Versuur, Moeketsi Sekola
Jomo Cosmos made the promotion playoffs at the end of the 2017-18 season but have looked relegation candidates in the two seasons since then.
Owner/coach Jomo Sono has been on a rebuild job and they look much more solid this season with the likes of former Orlando Pirates defender Ayanda Gcaba and ex-Free State Stars forward Moeketsi Sekola leading the way.
Cosmos will always be tight at the back, and if they can find a 15-goal striker to score at the other end then they will be among the promotion favourites.
Polokwane City
Stadium: Old Peter Mokaba Stadium Coach: MacDonald Makhubedu
Notable players: Mwenya Chibwe, Salulani Phiri, Vusi Mngomezulu, Mpho Mvelase, Charlton Mashumba, Puleng Tlolane
Polokwane City were relegated from the Premiership at the end of last season and although there has been much change in the squad, have managed to hold on to some key players as they look to bounce straight back to the top-flight.
They are coached by MacDonald Makhubedu, once of Baroka FC, and who led third-tier Acornbush United to victory over Cape Town City in the 2017 Nedbank Cup.
They have Zambia internationals Mwenya Chibwe and Salulani Phiri in their squad, along with Zimbabwe forward Charlton Mashumba, which makes for a formidable line-up at this level.
They certainly should be among the leading sides come the end of the season and have made a very good start, suggesting they will be the team to beat.
Pretoria Callies
Stadium: Lucas Moripe Stadium
Coach: Sammy Troughton
Notable players: Thabiso Nkoana, Mpho Sitayitayi, Pogiso Mahlangu, Joshua Sauls
Pretoria Callies were runners-up at the ABC Motsepe League national play-offs at the end of last season.
They are the oldest professional team in South Africa’s top two divisions with a history that dates back to 1898, and count one of the country’s great footballers, Lucas ‘Masterpieces’ Moripe among their former players, though they were known as Bantu Callies until a change in name in 1975.
It is ironic that they now play at a stadium that carries his name, seeking to restore former glories that have been blunted by infighting in what has been a turbulent history in the last few decades.
Callies were a leading side in the 1970s and early 80s, and enjoyed many successes over the likes of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, mostly led by Moripe but also another great in Jan Lechaba, and the likes of Scara Thindwa and Mark Anderson.
The man leading them back into professional football is veteran coach Sammy Troughton, who has a long association with University of Pretoria, but also coached Free State Stars in more recent times. Much of his career as a tactician has been in the second-tier and it is a league he knows like the back of his hand.
They have a number of players with top-flight experience, not least forward Thabiso Nkoana, who played previously for SuperSport United and Ajax Cape Town, and at the age of 28 will feel he still has lots to give in the local game.
Like fellow new-boys Bizana Pondo Chiefs though, they will know the aim for this season must be survival.
Richards Bay
Stadium: Richards Bay Sports Stadium Coach: Simo Dladla
Notable players: Paseka Sekese, Siyabonga Vilane, Khanyisa Mayo
Formed in 2017 after the sale of Thanda Royal Zulu’s top-flight status to AmaZulu, Richard’s Bay have finished 12th, seventh and 12th in the second-tier since then, never really threatening the play-off positions.
They have an exciting young coach in former AmaZulu striker Simo Dladla and plenty of potential, but perhaps not the financial muscle to be genuine promotion contenders.
They do have a good mixture of youth and experience and young forward Khanyisa Mayo has made an excellent start to the campaign that suggests he could have a special season again.
They are probably looking at somewhere in mid-table again.
Royal AM
Stadium: Chatsworth Stadium
Coach: Floyd Mogale
Notable players: Cuthbert Malajila,
Kabelo Mahlasela, Sedwyn George, Junior Awono
Royal AM are the new incarnation of Real Kings, having rebranded at the start of the season in October and appointed 19-yearold Andile Mpisane as chairman.
Mpisane is the son of owner Shauwn Mkhize, though to mitigate the gimmick, the experienced Sinky Mnisi, a veteran administrator, has been brought in as CEO following his recent exit from Highlands Park.
Mike Lukhubeni started the season as coach was axed after one game and replaced by former Mamelodi Sundowns scout Floyd Mogale, who has previously been an assistant at Free State Stars and Chippa United.
There is good experience in the squad with the likes of former Sundowns striker Cuthbert Malajila and ex-Chiefs midfielder Kabelo Mahlasela, and there are signs they be a force this season.
Sekhukhune United
Stadium: Makhulong Stadium
Coach: Johnny Ferreira
Notable players: Tapuwa Kapini, Morgan Gould, Jabu Maluleke, Siyabulela Shai, Prince Nxumalo
Ambitious Sekhukhune United may be new to the second-tier but they have bags of Premiership experience in their squad, even if those players are perhaps past their best.
Owner Simon Malatjie, who previously ran ABC Motsepe League side African All Stars, purchased the second-tier status of Tshakhuma Tsha Madzhivhandila when the latter in turn bought BidVest Wits, and created a new brand in Sekhukhune United.
Although they are from Limpopo, the club have been playing home games at the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa, though they intend moving back to their home province as soon as they can secure a suitable venue.
The club is coached by veteran Johnny Ferreira, who knows this division inside out, and has former Mamelodi Sundowns stalwart Alex Bapela as technical director.
They have made a solid start to the season and have the potential for a promotion push, but could find the physical demands of this season a challenge with their aging squad.
Steenberg United
Stadium: Idas Valley Sports Ground Coach: Nasief Morris
Notable players: Yusuf Jappie, Carl Lark, Gregory Roelf, Msekeli Mvalo
Steenberg United will be coached this season by former Bafana Bafana defender Nasief Morris, who brings vast experience of having played in the Greek and Spanish top-flight.
The team will use the Idas Valley Sports Ground, the former home of Stellenbosch FC who played such excellent football there to win promotion in the 2018-29 season.
Steenberg debuted in the second-tier in 2019-20 after years of near misses with promotion, and finished a credible ninth, which certainly gives them something to build on with their rookie coach.
TS Sporting
Stadium: Kabokweni Stadium Coach: Kabelo Sibiya Notable players: Tshwarelo Bereng, Khulekani Madondo, Decide Chauke, Francisco Muchanga
TS Sporting will hope for a change of fortunes after battling relegation in their first two seasons in the second tier having won promotion at the end of the 2017-18 campaign.
They have promising coach Kabelo Sibiya in charge of the side and have improved after a sticky start to the campaign.
They have top-flight experience in their squad, and also lethal striker Decide Chauke, who is a real asset to their armoury.
It is likely not enough for a promotion push and they might just be happy with a midtable finish as a sign of progress.
University Of Pretoria
Stadium: Tuks Stadium
Coach: Tlisane Motaung
Notable players: Siya Mngoma, Samuel Julies, Athenkhosi Dlala, Collins Mbesuma
Young coach Tlisane Motaung has taken over at AmaTuks this season hoping to mastermind a return to the PSL for the first time since their relegation in the 2015-16 season.
They were within a point of being relegated to the third-tier at the end of the 2018-19 season, but bounced back to finish eighth in the previous campaign.
They have veteran forward Collins Mbesuma still plugging away up front and some decent young talent, but it would be a surprise to see them among the leaders this season.
Uthongathi
Stadium: Princess Magogo Stadium Coach: Pitso Dladla
Notable players: Philani Shange, Issa Sarr, Cleopas Dube, Clive Augusto
Uthongathi made an excellent start to last season and looked odds-on to be in the promotion play-offs at least before they inexplicably fired coach Johnny Ferreira and ended up in sixth position.
It was a costly mistake but they will hope new coach Pitso Dladla can pick up the pieces and get them back to the impressive form of the first half of that season.
They have made a useful start and have the potential to be challengers again, with the likes of former Orlando Pirates midfielder Issa Sarr and veteran wing Philani Shange in the mix.