The big reveal was made – Calvin Le John 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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.”
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.
According to reports, including comments by Gayton McKenzie, minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Le John has big plans – 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 – 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.
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.
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