Free State, once home to Free State Stars and Bloemfontein Celtic, will sadly have no club playing in the professional ranks of South African football in years to come.
Celtic, popularly known as Phunya Selesele, were sold in dramatic fashion to KwaZulu-Natal businesswoman and socialite Shauwn Mkhize last year, and moved to the sunny province. The late owner of Celtic, Petrus Molemela, had made a passionate plea for the team to remain in Free State, but his pleas fell on deaf ears when Max Tshabalala sold the club to Mkhize.
Free State Stars, established in the 1970s by the late business supremo Mike Mokoena, and affectionately known as Ea lla Koto, were sold for R12-million to Casri Stars FC, a Mpumalanga-based amateur team playing in the second division Motsepe Foundation Championship, previously the GladAfrica Championship.
The sale of the two clubs follows the relegation from the Motsepe Foundation Championship of African Warriors and Maluti FET College. Pirates stars Vincent Pule and Thembinkosi Lorch, who both hail from Free State, started their professional football journey at the two teams.
Maluti captured the imagination of the nation in 2013 when they thumped Orlando Pirates 4-1, knocking the Buccaneers out of the Nedbank Cup.
Free State Stars boss Rantsi Mokoena said that he sympathises with all the people affected by the sale of the club. “The biggest loser and affected party in this matter is the Mokoena family. It was extremely difficult to run the club with no support system, including sponsors, hence we took the decision to sell the status of the team.
“It is no secret that corporate companies lie in the hands of the minority, and these companies pump a lot of money into rugby and cricket, but little into football. It’s a shame.
“Things need to be changed in how sponsors get involved in sports and until such time, there will be no way for us to survive in terms of football. We are sad that the sale of our status had to have a bad impact on many people who relied on the club’s existence for survival.”
Former Free State Stars player Serame Letsoaka, who is now the Fifa international trainer for technical soccer directors, said Stars and Celtic gave youngsters in the province hope of playing in the big leagues.
“Dreams and hopes of youngsters are dashed, including dreams of our people who would eke out a living by selling food and other essentials at stadiums when Stars and Celtic were hosting PSL matches.”
Another legend, Fees Moloi, who played for Stars and Celtic, said the pain of not having any professional soccer team in the province is a bitter pill to swallow.
“What will happen to the youngsters who want to showcase their talent? Even at our schools there is no soccer taking place like during our time.
“We have ideas for development structures which could have helped us nurture new talent, but where would these kids showcase the talent when there are no clubs to be part of, as both Stars and Celtic are gone?”
Former Celtic player Willem Jackson said: “There are a lot of businesspeople in the province, why don’t we get together to help our clubs stay in the province?”
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