The Bloemfontein-based Mangaung Unite FC has been given another chance to renew its ambitious bid to gain promotion to the National First Division (NFD), the second highest league of South African club football next to the Premier Soccer League (PSL). This is after narrowly beating cross-town rival D’ General FC 1 – 0 on Thursday, 30 May, at the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, in Bloemfontein.
On this day, the Free State’s ABC Motsepe League champions for the 2023-’24 term were decided in a rather scrappy fixture. It finally took place after the Free State High Court on 23 May struck off the roll an urgent case Bloemfontein Celtic FC had filed against Safa, D’ General and Dikgosi FC.
Disgruntled Celtic had sought to reverse the arbitrator’s decision in favour of D’ General against Dikgosi for failure to produce a smart card or identity document (IDs) for one of its players in their return league match.
The arbitration decision saw Celtic descend to second position and D’ General ascend to the top position in stream A – automatically qualifying to contest the provincial title against Mangaung, stream B winner.
The result was a repeat of 2021, with Mangaung winning to secure a slot in this year’s ABC Motsepe League national promotion play-offs, which features nine winners – of the respective provinces.
The Northern Cape town of Upington has been earmarked to host this year’s national promotion play-offs from 17 to 23 June. The play-offs will culminate in the promotion of two clubs to the Motsepe Foundation League, the men’s second professional league in the country.
Mangaung, owned by Sinki Leshabane, was unsuccessful in obtaining promotion in four previous years, since 2018. The year in question, the club came closest ever to achieving promotion as it reached the semifinal under the charges of Queen Modutoane. Misfortune followed, even under coaches Gabriel Njerengo and Morena Ramorebodi.
The big challenge of leading Mangaung to the promised land lies with the current technical team, led by Teboho Ramakoa and Kagisho Evidence Dikgacoi. With no professional club in the province, aspirations are to ensure the club attains promotion. Earning promotion to the professional rank is the litmus test Mangaung is yet to pass.
