Leopards join long list of relegated teams from top-flight football

Relegation for Black Leopards from the second tier of South African football means that the Venda club join a long list of teams who have tumbled from the top flight into the amateur ranks.

Lidoda Duvha will be mindful, as they get ready to participate next season in the Motsepe Foundation ABC League, that many of others like them have never recovered from relegation and been able to return to past glories.

Leopards finished bottom of the Motsepe Foundation Championship with only four wins in 30 matches, having fallen out of the DStv Premiership just two seasons earlier.

The club are one of 45 who have played in the highest division of South African professional football since the creation of the Premier Soccer League in 1996.

Of those more than half have either been sold, folded or faded into obscurity.

SuperSport.com does a deep dive into the clubs who have played in DStv Premiership but are now no longer in the professional ranks.

African Wanderers: A founder member of the NPSL in 1971, they led a turbulent existence for the next 30 years. They had been formed in 1906 as Wanderers FC and were a proud part of the local football fabric but faded away after demotion from the PSL in 2003.

Bloemfontein Celtic: The club was founded in 1969 and went onto enjoy enthusiastic support as well as win three cup titles but its last owner, Max Tshabalala, ran out of cash and sold it to Shawn Mkhize two years ago. It was renamed Royal AM and moved to KwaZulu-Natal.

Moroka Swallows: The Birds were founded in 1947 and became a major force in the domestic game, albeit never winning a championship in the NPSL-NSL-PSL era. They were relegated from the top flight in 2015 and tumbled out of pro ranks the next season, closing down amid multiple debts. The new Swallows, back in the DStv, does not use ‘Moroka’ to avoid having to settle the old club’s outstanding debts.

Mpumalanga Black Aces: An attempted incarnation of the fabled Witbank Black Aces was attempted by brothers George and Mario Morfou, as they brought the franchise of City Pillars in 2007. Aces reached the Nedbank Cup final one year later and promotion 12 months thereafter. The club were demoted after two seasons but bounced back in 2014 to finish seventh. Aces was sold to John Comitis in 2016, as he launched Cape Town City.

Vaal Professionals: Vaal Pros were there at both the start of the NPSL and then again, after promotion, the PSL in 1996 but have since faded into obscurity after relegation in 1999. The ‘Vaal Monsters’ won the Bob Save Super Bowl in 1994 which was the only success for the club and allowed them to compete in African club competition.

Witbank Black Aces: Aces were formed in 1937 by a group of dairy workers and remained a persistent feature in the league from 1971 until relegation in the first PSL season on 1996-97. In all that time, the ‘Zionists’ won the BoB Save Super Bowl and Top Eight once each.

Wits University: Wits won promotion in 1975 when under Eddie Lewis, they went up to the big league. But it was almost 100 years before they won the championship, taking the PSL title in 2017. By then, the university no longer owned the club but Bidvest, who sold the team in 2021 just before they could celebrate their centenary.

Hellenic: The Greek club from Cape Town, founded in 1958, were champions of the whites-only National Football League in 1971. They were hardy competitors in the early days of the PSL but sold in 2006 to Benoni businessman Dumsani Ndlovu.

Jomo Cosmos: Jomo Sono formed the club in 1983 when he bought Highlands Park and named it after himself and former club New York Cosmos. They were champions in 1986 but in the PSL era regularly yo-yoed between the top two divisions. Last season, they were relegated down to the amateur ABC League in a sad downfall of the ‘Black Prince of Soyth African soccer’.

Free State Stars: Phuthaditjhaba-based businessman Mike Mokoena ran his side for decades and was also a PSL executive committee member but after his death it was sold and is today known as Casric Stars, who are based in KwaMhlanga.

Umtata Bucks: The Transkei club were founded in 1957, and won promotion first in 1987. They turned the Independence Stadium into a fortress with many teams intimidated when they played there. But their move to East London proved their undoing and they were relegated in 2006.

Manning Rangers; Rangers were the first PSL champions in 1997 with Gordon Igesund and the next season reached the group phase of the African Champions League. But after relegation in 2005 their owner Kaycee Reddy sold the club and moved to Australia.

Santos: The Cape Town club were champions in 2002, another success for Igesund. Since their relegation in 2012, they have fallen out of the professional ranks but continue to play in the Motsepe Foundation ABC League.

Real Rovers: The team from Mahwereleng won promotion in 1994, some 19 years after they had been founded, and stayed in the top flight for four seasons. In the first PSL campaign in 1996/97 they avoided relegation by a single point but finished last the next season. Two seasons after they exited the second division’s Inland Stream with only six points.

Michau Warriors: Based in Port Elizabeth, the club was owned by Michau Huisamen, who was arrested allegedly smuggling marijuana into Britain in his private jet, spending five months in jail in the UK. The club finished second last even though they won 10 of their 34 games in the debut PSL season in 1997.

Dynamos (Giyani): Peter Rabali owned the club when they won promotion in 1998 but were relegated after a single season but returned in 2002, bought then for R600 000 by Pat Malabela. The club’s status was sold to AmaZulu in 2006.

Ajax Cape Town: Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam took a 50 per cent stake in the new club conceived by Rob Moore, a first franchise of its kind. Seven Stars and Cape Town Spurs took up the other 50 per cent, combining their best players. Ajax would come within one game of the league title a decade later and then die a slow death amid an ugly bust up between directors, changing their name to Cape Town Spurs two years ago.

Classic: The club won promotion when they took the Inland Stream by eight points in 1999. The side were coached by Khabo Zondo and their first season saw them finish ninth, only four points adrift of a top eight finish. They were 12th in 2001 but relegated in 2002. They were promoted again after beating Benoni Premier United in a playoff in 2005 but after one month back at the top, sold the franchise to Maritzburg United.

Mother City: Businessman Fred Robertson bought the old Cape Town Spurs franchise in 2000 but the club won only two games and disappeared almost as quickly as they have arrived but not before earning a reputation as one of the worst sides seen in SA football.

Ria Stars: Ria Ledwaba set up her club in 1989 and they finished seventh in their debut top flight season in 2001. But after the next campaign, Ledwaba took a payoff from the league who were seeking to reduce the number of top flight clubs from 18 to 16. Her club never competed again but she has remained a figure in football politics.

Silver Stars: Mapate Silver Stars of Limpopo were taken over by Larry Brookstone, lifelong Highlands Park fan seeking to restore the name of the ‘Lions of the North’. They had their first topflight season in 2004, then moved to the North West Province as the Bafokeng eventually took full control of the team. The renamed Platinum Stars finished second in 2007 and 2013 but relegation in 2018 came as the club was sold to a consortium of businesswomen from Cape Town.

Benoni Premier United: The club where Bernard Parker and Tsepo Masilela both made their breakthrough was owned by Dumisani Ndlovu, who passed away in 2020. He bought the Hellenic franchise but then sold the franchise at a massive profit to Thanda Royal Zulu.

Thanda Royal Zulu:Swedish billionaire Dan Olofsson initially, he wanted to create an academy but then had the chance to buy Benoni Premier United in 2007. But after relegation and a costly DC case, Thanda sold their franchise after 10 years to AmaZulu.

Bay United: Bay United was born out of the purchase of Tembisa Classic by Maritzburg, who then sold their second tier franchise to Port Elizabeth. Owner Sipho Pityana said he wanted the club to be champions within five years but they were immediately relegated and after just two seasons he sold the club to Johnny Mogaladi, who turned it into Polokwane City. Bay United, therefore, are one of the country’s shortest lived football teams.

Vasco da Gama:The Cape Town club serves the city’s Portuguese community and were regular competitors both in the second and third tiers of the professional game until winning promotion in 2010 by beating Black Leopards. They battled gamely in their only top flight season but were relegated straight away and then later sold their status to Stellenbosch.

Highlands Park: After selling Silver Stars to the Royal Bafokeng, Brookstone was back with new partners to restore the Highlands Park brand. They won promotion but went straight back down only to bounce back again and finish seventh in 2018-19 and ninth the season thereafter. The franchise was sold to Tim Sukazi in 2020.