Magesi FC aims to shake up SA’s top tier football league

Newly promoted Betway Premiership side, Magesi FC, aims to deliver a lot of upsets in South Africa’s top tier football league this season.

The delayed season kicks off this weekend, with four matches taking place. The pick of this weekend’s fixtures is the match between Kaizer Chiefs and Marumo Gallants at the Bloemfontein Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for half past five on Saturday.

After enduring their worst season ever in Premier Soccer League history, Kaizer Chiefs are hoping for a change of fortunes.

Amakhosi finished 10th last season after winning a mere 12 matches. This prompted the club to bring in the highly-rated Tunisian coach, Nasreddine Nabi, to help turn around the ship.

The club has also made seven new signings. But, Amakhosi’s opening match will be a tricky one on the road to Marumo Gallants in Bloemfontein.

Marumo coach, Dan Malesela, says they hope to start the season on a high note against Amakhosi, to prevent history from repeating itself with the club more often than not, fighting for survival.

“Try and stay far away from the bottom that’s the main target. Just stay away from the bottom, we don’t want to be a team again that will be fighting relegation. It brings a lot of stress, worries, uncertainty and all this nonsense. So if we try and compete with the big guns you know stay in the top 8 from the beginning and you don’t have to worry about other things.”

In the first match of the season at three o’clock on Saturday afternoon, Royal AM will host Cape Town City at the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg. Royal AM also had a dismal 2023/24 season, finishing 13th on the log… and coach John Maduka says they are hoping for a decent start despite the ban by FIFA preventing them from signing new players.

“It will be good for us to finish in the top eight as much as we have our own challenges, but we are an ambitious team. Regardless of the problems we have we want to finish strong, we want to find ourselves competing with the best. Yes, it won’t be, but like I said we are an ambitious team and we are not afraid.”

Saturday evening’s late match is between Polokwane City and Amazulu at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium. City finished in a credible eighth place last season, but coach Phuti Mohafe says they want to do even better this season.

“The best ever finish for the club was position six, and last season we came number eight coming from the first division, so this season we just have to target again position six. So if things go well for us, I think position six will be for us, but we mustn’t undermine the difficulty and the toughness of the league as kit is going to be tough this season because anyone wants to beat anyone so we are ready for the season.”

New kids on the block, Magesi FC, will start their Betway Premiership campaign against neighbours Sekhukhune United in Polokwane next Wednesday.