Premier Soccer League (PSL) club Marumo Gallants president Abram Sello has confirmed that the club will no longer be playing their home matches in Bloemfontein and that they are relocating back to their original home at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg.
Gallants, who survived the relegation chop by a whisker last season, are forging ahead with their plans for the new season. Part of their new strategy was to rope in former Polokwane City coach Phuthi Mohafe as their new coach and also to play in front of their own supporters in the North West province, where the club was established.
“Gallants has always been a club that belongs to South Africa. We have played home matches in Limpopo, North West, Gauteng, and the Free State. For the past two seasons, Mangaung has been our home, and we want to sincerely thank the Free State government, Mangaung Metro, local businesses, football stakeholders, and especially our supporters in the City of Roses,” Sello told the media on Tuesday in Johannesburg.
“After careful consideration, we have decided to relocate our home back to the North West province. It makes more sense because our players are based in Gauteng, and the long distance, travelling every second week was taking its toll. The long hours before and matches created an unnecessary fatigue for players to be in the best possible condition to compete. I can also confirm that all our home matches in the new 2026/27 season will be played at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium,” he added.
Sello explained further that other challenges they faced with the venues in Bloemfontein were the escalating fees and also the need to jump from venue to another due to unavailability.
“Another factor was the practical challenges that we experienced with the stadium facilities and the costs involved. When we were using the Petrus Molemela Stadium [Bloemfontein], there were times we could not play where we wanted to – and we had to move some of our matches to Pretoria and other stadiums.
“The Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein was also becoming increasingly challenging and expensive for the club. We had to make a decision that makes football sense and also business sense for the long-term future of the club.”
The president reminded the people of North West that the club was not going back to the province just to play football but to become part of the community and to uplift the residents of the area.
“As we return to the North West, we are not just coming to play football, we want to become part of the Rustenburg and Bafokeng community. We are committed to working with local communities, government, schools, businesses, and the private sector to grow football and create opportunities for the young players in the area,” Sello added.
- Marumo Gallants will relocate their home matches from Bloemfontein back to Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg for the 2026/27 season.
- The move aims to reduce long travel distances and player fatigue, as most players are based in Gauteng.
- Challenges with Bloemfontein venues included escalating fees, unavailability, and costly facility issues.
- The club appointed former Polokwane City coach Phuthi Mohafe as part of their new season strategy.
- Marumo Gallants intend to engage with the Rustenburg and Bafokeng community to support local football development and opportunities.
