Seven PE clubs now included in Motsepe league

PORT Elizabeth will now have seven football clubs participating in the ABC Mostepe League, which is scheduled to start on September 26 and 27.

Motherwell side Young Ideas were promoted to the semi-professional league after winning promotion playoffs early this year.

Meanwhile, two other SAB League clubs bought ABC Mostsepe League status, adding to the four Bay clubs already in the league – Morning Stars, Real City, Subs and Highbury FC.

Lion City bought Angavu Stars FC’s status and La Liga sold their status to Port Elizabeth side Emperors FC.

Safa Nelson Mandela Bay president Monde Mhletywa said they were happy to have so many teams participating in the league.

However, it would not necessarily increase the Bay’s chances of gaining promotion to the National First Division.

He said it would definitely reduce the cost of running a team in that division with regards to travelling costs.

“A league has 30 games. Clubs will only go away nine times so that means 21 matches are played at home,” he said. “That is a big positive in terms of transport costs, accommodation and catering.”

Mhletywa believes having so many clubs in the Bay might drive teams to look for quality players outside the city.

“Do we have enough quality players?

“This means all seven clubs will share the quality players we have here in the Bay, to an extent that some teams will have fewer quality players compared to others.”

He said there were a number of factors involved when having too many clubs from one league in the same area.

“The positive side is we have seven chances at playing in a semi-professional level. There is only one team that can win the league and we hope that it will come from PE,” he said.

Out of the seven Bay clubs that will be competing in the ABC Motsepe league, five are from Motherwell.

This could cause concern as resources might be inadequate to accommodate them all.

Last season, most of the ABC Motsepe clubs from Motherwell used the NU 2 Stadium as their home ground.

“It will be a challenge because all the teams will utilise the NU 2 Stadium,” he said.

There were also other divisions that had to use the stadium, Mhletywa said.

“We don’t have enough resources and that is why at some point the teams will have to think of making use of other areas, like Gelvandale or Zwide Stadium,” he said.

Real City coach Bonke Namba agreed with Mhletywa regarding the decrease in transport costs and also the sharing of players, saying the movement of players created tension among clubs.

“Last season, the club spent over R250 000 in transportation. We need help from the municipality to assist us with transport,” he said.

Motherwell Football Association president Simphiwe Mkangelwa said he believed a way would be found to accommodate all the teams.