Plett soccer club flies high under new ownership
With new recruits and success, businessman eyes promotion to ABC Motsepe League
A local soccer club on the brink of collapse was bought by a Plettenberg Bay businessman who has already managed to turn around the club’s fortunes.
The Oriented Birds Football Club, which was established in 2006, now has its own clubhouse in the Garden Route with players recruited from as far as East London, Qonce, Kariega and Gqeberha.
Entrepreneur Zitho Tyontwana bought the club last year and now has 30 players between the ages of 16 and 21.
The players train over the weekends to accommodate those still in school, while the older players work at Tyontwana’s construction company to earn a living.
“When I took over the club a lot of change happened,” Tyontwana said this week.
“Over the past five seasons, the club was struggling to reach the top eight of the SA Breweries [SAB] League.
“But in the first year that I took over they have managed to reach the top four.
“On the field, there have been major improvements because of the recruits who have brought a spark and a sense of competition to the locals.”
He said “The Obies”, as they were called, were the only Plettenberg Bay team to play in the SAB League and they competed with teams in Knysna, George, Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay.
The goal was to reach the SA Football Association’s ABC Motsepe League, which is the current second division and overall third tier of South African football.
“We have also branched out to tournaments in Jeffreys Bay.
“At the Easter Tournament we unfortunately lost out in the semifinals due to penalties,” Tyontwana said.
Asked about his sudden interest in soccer, Tyontwana said after losing his father to Covid-19 he needed a distraction.
“My dad was my business partner and best friend. We did everything together from work to socialising.
“I needed to fill that void with something that was healthy, hence football,” he said.
He said the players kept him motivated.
“I’m taking two of them to Durban next week for trials for a team in the PSL [Premier Soccer League] because I want them to dream big and I want them to see that this is attainable.
“I am doing this out of the love of football because I am not benefiting from it financially.”
Tyontwana said travelling, food and accommodation was costly.
“In the future, I will start looking for sponsorships to grow the club but for now I am focused on ensuring we grow the club so that when other people come on board we are established,” he said.