Orbit College Football Club, the Mswenko Boys, have done what many in the North West dared only whisper about over beers and braais: they’ve stormed the castle gates of the Betway PSL.
Their dogged victory over Cape Town City wasn’t just a triumph on the pitch but a thunderclap across the province — a wake-up call that North West football is back, and with a vengeance.
Rewriting of football script
This isn’t just another feel-good sports tale. It’s a rewriting of the football script in a province sidelined since the days of Platinum Stars. Suddenly, North West isn’t just sending players to fill benches elsewhere.
Now, it’s fielding a team in the big league — a side forged in the grinding lower tiers and now strutting with Mswenko among South Africa’s elite.
Premier Lazarus Mokgosi wasted no time capturing the magnitude of the moment.
He declared: “We witnessed a remarkable performance by Orbit TVET College, which guarantees them a spot in the Premier Soccer League.
“As a province we congratulate them on this historic victory which epitomises resilience and courage. It further gives impetus to our ongoing efforts to set our province on a path of growth and development.”
Those aren’t just congratulatory words. they’re a rallying cry. For too long, the North West has been a bystander in the national football conversation.
Call for private sector, mining houses
But Mokgosi wasn’t content to just pat backs; he put mining houses and the private sector on notice.
“The private sector, and in particular, mining houses around the Bojanala area will have to be roped in. [They need] to assist the team through various means to ensure its sustainability and growth.”
Football, he’s saying, is now everyone’s business in North West. The province’s success on the field can — and should — translate into jobs, investment, and pride in the streets.
The premier didn’t miss the bigger economic picture either.
“This promotion will culminate into the creation of various economic opportunities for the people of the North West. And in particular, the tourism and retail sector. It further impresses upon us to prioritise the refurbishment of infrastructure such as our stadiums and training facilities.”
This is the kind of bold talk you want from your leaders — using a football win as a lever for provincial upliftment.
But there’s something more elemental at play.
More than just a club
Thebe Sekoto, president of the North West Sports Confederation, put it straight.
“Teams like Orbit are more than just football clubs. They create jobs, bring in investment, help young people grow and bring people together. Promotion is not just a prize. It is a chance to improve our communities.” In a country aching for hope and unity, you don’t get sounder analysis than that.
Orbit’s story isn’t just about a college team shocking the establishment. It’s about belief, discipline, and an underdog’s refusal to accept boundaries drawn by geography or history.
In a league where Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal flex the most muscle, North West now brings new blood, new stories, and renewed pride.
Coach Pogiso Makhoye, the architect of this charge, has taken dreams off the blackboard and pasted them onto the PSL fixture list.
Made history
As Sekoto put it, “Congratulations to the whole Orbit College family. You’ve made history. You’ve inspired the province. And you’ve shown the country that with belief and hard work, anything is possible.”
Orbit College’s promotion isn’t a footnote. It’s a headline, a statement, a shot across the bow. The North West is back in the game, with hope stretching from the stands to the streets. This is more than sport — it’s the rebirth of a province’s pride.
