{"id":265726,"date":"2025-07-09T06:49:20","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T04:49:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnuus\/?p=265726"},"modified":"2026-03-31T16:26:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:26:36","slug":"big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/","title":{"rendered":"Big-money Siwelele FC deal sparks excitement in local sports scene"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The big reveal was made \u2013 Calvin Le John<\/a> is the frontman who purchased the franchise of the SuperSport United Premier Soccer League (PSL) team, to now trade as Siwelele Football Club (Pty) Ltd. The success of this deal has potential to further bolster professional football in the Free State’s capital of Bloemfontein.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The city is already enjoying its share through the Marumo Gallants. The approval of the pending deal will see the establishment of a local derby. In a statement issued on Thursday, 3 July, SuperSport International confirmed the sale of its PSL franchise SuperSport United to Siwelele Football Club (Pty) Ltd. It is explained that this was the culmination of a closed bidding process, with Siwelele awarded the rights to purchase. The deal is pending approval by the PSL executive committee.
The price tag, however, has not been revealed yet, but the deal is reportedly worth R50 million.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Rendani Ramovha, SuperSport chief executive officer (CEO), the decision to sell the franchise of the three-time PSL champions was purely a business decision. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The sale of the club comes as SuperSport makes strategic shifts to allow us to remain the biggest broadcaster in Africa and a leading global competitor. Shifts in the market, as well as the need to innovate in accordance with our core business, have necessitated focused direction to allow SuperSport to remain the best sports content provider on the continent and a leader in broadcast innovation,” said Ramovha.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The ambitious buyer, Le John, commented: “As Siwelele, we are privileged to have been given the responsibility of continuing with a rich winning tradition in the PSL. SuperSport and the MultiChoice Group laid an incredible 30-year platform that we wish to build upon, should we get the final vote of approval from the PSL executive committee.”
<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The parties indicated that out of respect for the PSL executive committee’s processes, they would not be making further statements, pending the decision of approval of the deal.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to reports, including comments by Gayton McKenzie, minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Le John has big plans \u2013 which extend to his investing R400 million to transform the newly formed Siwelele team into a powerhouse. McKenzie reportedly stated he had no ties to Le John’s newly formed football club business and that the latter operated independently.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He confirmed that Le John was his firstborn child, and had changed his surname to step out of his father’s shadow. Purportedly, this happened after McKenzie had become a minister in cabinet. Le John took over the reins of the family businesses, which have interests in mining, transport, hospitality, entertainment, properties and publishing.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big-spender Le John has strategically moved away from a possible conflict arising from the naming rights. He opted for a supporters’ decorated name, Siwelele, rather than attempting to retain the original Bloemfontein Celtic, aliased Phunya Sele Sele. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eddie Modise, well-known property pioneer in Bloemfontein, announced he had acquired the naming rights of the Celtic club from Samuel “Max” Tshabalala, who purchased the team from Jimmy Augusti. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modise reportedly forked out in the region of R5 million for the name Celtic early this year. Subsequently, Tshabalala announced that the club decided to discontinue its participation in the ABC Motsepe League \u2013 a second-tier division in the country. This was after a brief revival of the Celtic’s purchasing status in the Free State’s ABC Motsepe League.
Initially, the demise of the Celtic club came in 2021 when he (Tshabalala) sold the franchise to Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize, who renamed the club Royal AM and relocated it to Durban.
The club has since been expelled from the PSL. The decision was made by the PSL’s board of governors after the league’s executive committee had recommended the expulsion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This decision arose from a combination of factors, including the club’s financial struggles and inability to fulfil its obligations to the league and its players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/
The minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie. Photo: Teboho Setena<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Calvin Le John is the frontman who purchased the franchise of the PSL three-time league champions SuperSport United .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":303813,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"74","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"30","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"3","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"22","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"1","article_feature_type":"normal","article_main_image_caption":"Calvin Le John has stunned by purchasing SuperSport United. Photo: Facebook","article_media_icon":"1","article_template":"news","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"Teboo Setena","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"Deal can bolster local sports scene","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[""],"pongrass_image":["EXSLejohn_P1|EXSLejohn_P2"],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[22],"tags":[7955],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-265726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport","tag-sport"],"yoast_head":"\nBig-money Siwelele FC deal sparks excitement in local sports scene | BloemNews Express<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Calvin Le John is the frontman who purchased the franchise of the PSL three-time league champions SuperSport United\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Big-money Siwelele FC deal sparks excitement in local sports scene\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Calvin Le John is the frontman who purchased the franchise of the PSL three-time league champions SuperSport United\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BloemNews Express\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-09T04:49:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-31T14:26:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CalvinLeJohnCelticUn_28362.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Teboho Setena\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Teboho Setena\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Teboho Setena\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/43a385fee12dd5baf7f0fb641c788185\"},\"headline\":\"Big-money Siwelele FC deal sparks excitement in local sports scene\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-09T04:49:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T14:26:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":672,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/CalvinLeJohnCelticUn_28362.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Sport\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Sport\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\\\/\",\"name\":\"Big-money Siwelele FC deal sparks excitement in local sports scene | BloemNews Express\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/CalvinLeJohnCelticUn_28362.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-09T04:49:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T14:26:36+00:00\",\"description\":\"Calvin Le John is the frontman who purchased the franchise of the PSL three-time league champions SuperSport United\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/CalvinLeJohnCelticUn_28362.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/CalvinLeJohnCelticUn_28362.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":1600},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sport\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/sport\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Big-money Siwelele FC deal sparks excitement in local sports scene\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"BloemNuus\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/bloemnuus\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/bloemnuus\"],\"description\":\"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.\",\"email\":\"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"051-4047600\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/43a385fee12dd5baf7f0fb641c788185\",\"name\":\"Teboho Setena\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Teboho Setena\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/author\\\/teboho-setena\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Big-money Siwelele FC deal sparks excitement in local sports scene | BloemNews Express","description":"Calvin Le John is the frontman who purchased the franchise of the PSL three-time league champions SuperSport United","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Big-money Siwelele FC deal sparks excitement in local sports scene","og_description":"Calvin Le John is the frontman who purchased the franchise of the PSL three-time league champions SuperSport United","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/","og_site_name":"BloemNews Express","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","article_published_time":"2025-07-09T04:49:20+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-31T14:26:36+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":1600,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CalvinLeJohnCelticUn_28362.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Teboho Setena","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Teboho Setena","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/"},"author":{"name":"Teboho Setena","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/43a385fee12dd5baf7f0fb641c788185"},"headline":"Big-money Siwelele FC deal sparks excitement in local sports scene","datePublished":"2025-07-09T04:49:20+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-31T14:26:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/"},"wordCount":672,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CalvinLeJohnCelticUn_28362.jpg","keywords":["Sport"],"articleSection":["Sport"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/","name":"Big-money Siwelele FC deal sparks excitement in local sports scene | BloemNews Express","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CalvinLeJohnCelticUn_28362.jpg","datePublished":"2025-07-09T04:49:20+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-31T14:26:36+00:00","description":"Calvin Le John is the frontman who purchased the franchise of the PSL three-time league champions SuperSport United","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CalvinLeJohnCelticUn_28362.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CalvinLeJohnCelticUn_28362.jpg","width":1200,"height":1600},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/big-money-siwelele-fc-deal-sparks-excitement-in-local-sports-scene\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Sport","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/sport\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Big-money Siwelele FC deal sparks excitement in local sports scene"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","name":"BloemNuus","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization","name":"BloemNuus","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"BloemNuus"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bloemnuus"],"description":"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.","email":"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"051-4047600","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/43a385fee12dd5baf7f0fb641c788185","name":"Teboho Setena","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Teboho Setena"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/author\/teboho-setena\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CalvinLeJohnCelticUn_28362.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":306972,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/players-risking-it-all\/","url_meta":{"origin":265726,"position":0},"title":"Players risking it all","author":"Teboho Setena","date":"15 April 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Betway Premier Soccer League (PSL) local football derby between the Marumo Gallants and Siwelele FC on Saturday 18 April is a high-stakes fixture.","rel":"","context":"In "Sport"","block_context":{"text":"Sport","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/sport\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Allan Keegan of AmaZulu (in black) and Ohizu Chibuke of Siwelele FC in a tight chase for the ball during a Premiership league fixture.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AllanKeeganofAmaZulu_39218-e1776938702559.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AllanKeeganofAmaZulu_39218-e1776938702559.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AllanKeeganofAmaZulu_39218-e1776938702559.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AllanKeeganofAmaZulu_39218-e1776938702559.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AllanKeeganofAmaZulu_39218-e1776938702559.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":305839,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/club-on-the-verge-of-concluding-a-lucrative-deal-with-a-belgian-club-for-the-star-players-services\/","url_meta":{"origin":265726,"position":1},"title":"Club on the verge of concluding a lucrative deal with a Belgian club for the star player’s services","author":"Teboho Setena","date":"14 January 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Belgian club chases SA's under-23 star player","rel":"","context":"In "Sport"","block_context":{"text":"Sport","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/sport\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SiviweMagidigidi_22764-scaled-e1768415783332.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SiviweMagidigidi_22764-scaled-e1768415783332.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SiviweMagidigidi_22764-scaled-e1768415783332.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SiviweMagidigidi_22764-scaled-e1768415783332.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SiviweMagidigidi_22764-scaled-e1768415783332.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":305576,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/gallants-bravely-battle-inconsistency-in-league-competition\/","url_meta":{"origin":265726,"position":2},"title":"Gallants bravely battle inconsistency in league competition","author":"Teboho Setena","date":"26 November 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Gallants pressured to find form in the league","rel":"","context":"In "Sport"","block_context":{"text":"Sport","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/sport\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/PhillipNdlondlotussl_00218.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/PhillipNdlondlotussl_00218.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/PhillipNdlondlotussl_00218.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/PhillipNdlondlotussl_00218.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/PhillipNdlondlotussl_00218.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":307561,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/co-coach-emphasises-recovery-after-devastating-setback\/","url_meta":{"origin":265726,"position":3},"title":"Co-coach emphasises recovery after devastating setback","author":"Teboho Setena","date":"30 April 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Kaizer Chiefs are still harbouring ambitions of a third-place finish, despite being stunned and caught cold by the resilient Siwelele FC in Bloemfontein.","rel":"","context":"In "Sport"","block_context":{"text":"Sport","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/sport\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Following the loss to Siwelele FC, the Kaizer Chiefs' co-coach, Cedric Kaze, highlights a crucial mindset for upcoming matches.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Head-coach-Lehlohonolo-Seema-and-Williem-Jackson-assistant-coach-of-Siwelele-FC-.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Head-coach-Lehlohonolo-Seema-and-Williem-Jackson-assistant-coach-of-Siwelele-FC-.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Head-coach-Lehlohonolo-Seema-and-Williem-Jackson-assistant-coach-of-Siwelele-FC-.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Head-coach-Lehlohonolo-Seema-and-Williem-Jackson-assistant-coach-of-Siwelele-FC-.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Head-coach-Lehlohonolo-Seema-and-Williem-Jackson-assistant-coach-of-Siwelele-FC-.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Head-coach-Lehlohonolo-Seema-and-Williem-Jackson-assistant-coach-of-Siwelele-FC-.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":304800,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/derby-fever-hits-city-as-two-local-clubs-brace-to-battle-for-bragging-rights\/","url_meta":{"origin":265726,"position":4},"title":"Derby fever hits city as two local clubs brace to battle for bragging rights","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"25 September 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Derby fever hits city as two local clubs face off","rel":"","context":"In "Sport"","block_context":{"text":"Sport","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/sport\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MarumoGallantspresid_14927.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MarumoGallantspresid_14927.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MarumoGallantspresid_14927.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MarumoGallantspresid_14927.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MarumoGallantspresid_14927.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"BloemNews Express","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265726","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265726"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":303812,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265726\/revisions\/303812"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/303813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265726"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=265726"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=265726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}