Marumo Gallants confirmed on Thursday that they will officially be back in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) topflight after acquiring the status of Moroka Swallows.
“Following the final approval of the Premier Soccer League, (PSL) today, Marumo Gallants Football Club officially confirms the acquisition of Moroka Swallows Football Club,” the club said via a statement.
“Gallants will take over Swallows with immediate effect. The club also confirms that home games for the upcoming season will be played in Bloemfontein, Free State.
“Gallants will provide more details of plans once staff, technical teams, and players have been addressed.
Follows media reports of club’s financial struggles
“At this stage, the club will not be issuing further comments or taking interviews. A date will be communicated for a press briefing that will take place shortly.”
This comes after various media reports that the embattled Swallows hierarchy will be open to selling their status. The move follows their financial struggles throughout the 2023/2024 season.
In February, Swallows confirmed that head coach Steve Komphela and the team have broken their relationship.
This news came after Komphela had not visited the Birds training facility. It led to rumours about his future with the cash-strapped team.
Myriad of problems in the club
In the absence of the head coach, Musa Nyatama, Komphela’s assistant, took charge of the first team.
To put salt to the ailing Dube Birds’s wound, the PSL Premier Soccer League prosecutor Zola Majavu docked the Birds six points. He fined them for not honouring two DStv Premiership matches in December.
The league fined the Dube Birds R1-million, of which R600,000 was suspended. They gave both Mamelodi Sundowns and Golden Arrows walkovers. This was punishment for the club’s failure to show up.
Gallants survived relegation by the scruff of the neck in the Mostepe Foundation Championship. They will ply their trade in the DStv Premiership next season.
It remains to be seen what will happen to the Motsepe Foundation Championship status.
This is a developing story.
