4 Premier Soccer League Teams That Sold Their Status As Marumo Gallants Buy Out Moroka Swallows

Moroka Swallows are no more.

The club, one of the giants of South African football, have officially sold their top-flight status to Marumo Gallants.

Founded in 1974, the Dube Birds were one of the original Soweto giants alongside Orlando Pirates.

With the side now officially no more, Sports Brief looks at other prominent Premier Soccer League (PSL) teams that sold their status.

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4 PSL teams that were sold

Bloemfontein Celtic

Founded in 1969, Phunya Sele Sele currently competes in the ABC Motsepe League, but it’s not the side that was a staple of the PSL.

The original Celtic were sold in 2021 to Shauwn Mkhize and renamed Royal AM, GOAL reported.

The original Celtic still have one of the most passionate fanbases in the country, but many are upset that their beloved team was sold just before the start of the 2021/22 season.

Tembisa Classic

Classic were not one of oldest teams in South African football, but they were popular.

Founded in 1994, they were one of the original members of the National First Division, and earned promotion to the PSL in the 1998/99 season.

It came as a surprise to many when they were sold in 2005 to Maritzburg United, a team that was competing in the Mvela Golden League at the time. The Team of Choice now compete in the Motsepe Foundation Championship and were reportedly interested in buying Swallows’ top-flight status as well.

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Chairman Farook Kadodia denied those rumours, saying the team wanted to earn their way back to the Premier League with their result, iDiskiTimes noted.

Unlike Celtic, Tembisa Classic never resurfaced.

Mpumalanga Black Aces

Black Aces were a side that were around from 1937, but only adopted the new name in 2007.

Previously they were known as Ukhumba Black Aces, Witbank Black Aces and Super Kurl Aces before they were sold and became Mpumalanga Black Aces.

In 2016, John Comitis purchased the franchise, which gave birth to Cape Town City.

City have become a popular addition to the top flight and even bagged the Telkom Knockout in 2016 and MTN 8 title in 2018.

Highlands Park

Highlands Park, founded in 1959, were a team synonymous with success.

The club won the league title eight times before selling up in 1983 to Jomo Sono.

That team would become Jomo Cosmos, one of the league’s most famous clubs.

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Highlands Parks returned as a club three times, with their last foray into the Premier League coming in the 2020/21 season. They then sold their status to TS Galaxy and now compete SAFA Second Division’s Gauteng Stream.

Swallows’ players face disciplinary measures

Sports Brief reported how Swallows’ stars were facing disciplinary measures after being involved in a strike.

The players refused to play after a financial argument erupted between them and the club’s management.

The club’s chairperson accused the players of holding the club at ransom, saying they wanted to be paid earlier.