+18 | Commercial Content | T&C's Apply | Play Responsibly | Publishing Principles
Shauwn Mkhize of Royal AM 16-9GOAL GFX
Celine Abrahams

Royal AM saga: How Thwihli Thwahla’s fall exposed the Premier Soccer League’s cracks, derailed dreams & has left a league searching for its soul

What began as a flamboyant, headline-grabbing tale in South African football has now spiralled into one of its most embarrassing chapters.

Royal AM, under the spotlight-loving stewardship of Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize, was once the Premier Soccer League’s most unpredictable darling, a club that danced to the beat of its own drum, often literally. 

But fast-forward and the music has stopped. What remains is a broken team, disillusioned fans, unpaid players and a league whose credibility has taken another self-inflicted blow.

The Royal AM saga isn’t just about one club’s collapse, it’s about the systemic fragility within the PSL itself. From governance to sponsorship, from morale to next season’s logistics, GOAL looks at how this disaster has touched every corner of the South African football ecosystem.

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp 🟢📱

  • Shauwn Mkhize of Royal AMBackpagepix

    What really went wrong at Royal AM

    Royal AM’s rise from the shadows of Bloemfontein Celtic had all the makings of a football fairytale — flashy entrances, celebrity ownership and a team punching above its weight. But behind the glitz lay a shaky foundation. Financial mismanagement, unpaid salaries, and off-field drama slowly corroded the club’s credibility. 

    The very structure that allowed Shauwn “MaMkhize” Mkhize to buy her way into the league has now come undone, revealing a system vulnerable to implosion when money runs dry and governance falters.

    • Advertisement
  • Dr. Irvin Khoza, PSLBackPagePix

    PSL’s integrity takes another hit

    Everyone loses — but none more so than the PSL itself. The Royal AM saga has left a gaping hole in the league’s integrity. How can a professional league that welcomed a major sponsorship boost from betting giants Betway, watch a team collapse mid-season with little to no intervention? 

    The PSL’s “highest bidder takes the license” model has once again proven to be flawed, allowing clubs with money but no sustainable structure to gamble with the credibility of South African football.

  • Royal AMBackpage

    Collateral damage: Players, staff and Mama Joy left in the lurch

    Royal AM’s implosion hasn’t just embarrassed the league, it’s left a trail of human cost. Players and staff, many of whom haven’t been paid for months, are now stuck in contractual limbo with uncertain futures. 

    The likes of Mama Joy, who famously defected from Orlando Pirates to support Royal AM, now watches her beloved club unravel. Her joy? Lost. The club’s charm and character? Gone. What’s left is a cautionary tale that’s more tragedy than triumph.

  • Betway

    How sponsors’ faith has been undermined

    When Betway poured over R900 million with a three-year deal into the PSL, the hope was to elevate the standard of the league and create a thriving product. Instead, headlines have been dominated by court cases, unpaid salaries and disappearing clubs. 

    What should’ve been a season of celebration and elevation has turned into one of damage control. Sponsors don’t invest to see a circus and with Royal AM’s collapse, the PSL has wasted more than just goodwill; it’s wasted a rare opportunity to grow the game meaningfully.


  • Shauwn Mkhize & Richard Makhoba, Royal AM, 2024Backpagepix

    16th mystery: What now for next season’s line-up?

    With Royal AM all but gone, the PSL faces a logistical and credibility crisis. Who becomes the 16th team next season? Is there a play-off? A lucky loser from the National First Division? Another open-for-purchase license that invites the same chaos we’ve just witnessed? 

    These aren’t just admin questions, they reflect a deeper rot in planning and foresight. The Royal AM debacle has shaken confidence in how the league operates, and until that’s fixed, every season runs the risk of becoming another edition of “Survivor: PSL.”

  • Royal AM Sars GFXBackpagepix

    Dive deeper