The Buying The Game: How SuperSport United's sale could reshape the PSL and Bloemfontein's football dreams has possibility of three professional clubs becoming a big prospect

SuperSport are one of the few teams in PSL history to have never faced relegation, and barely survived on the final day of last season.

But survival wasn’t about avoiding the drop - it was strategic. With top-flight status intact, SuperSport became a valuable asset.

The club, struggling financially in recent years, especially post-Covid, had made it no secret they were ready to cash in.

Relying on player sales had kept them afloat, but it was never going to be enough to sustain a title-contending side.

Another season, another sale. And there’s no dressing this up - it’s absurd, no matter how you look at it and sad for the supporters of Matsatsantsa. The growing trend of clubs purchasing their way into the PSL, instead of earning promotion through performance, is turning South Africa’s top football division into a punchline. What should be a merit-based system is at risk of resembling a fly-by-night "spaza shop" operation, lacking in both credibility and professionalism.

A consortium linked to sports minister Gayton McKenzie, now understood to be the frontrunners to buy SuperSport.

The initial plan? Move the club to Bloemfontein and resurrect it under the beloved banner of Bloemfontein Celtic - a name that still resonates deeply in South African football lore.

Since the once-vibrant Celtic was uprooted by Shawn Mkhize, moved to KwaZulu-Natal, and rebranded as Royal AM - a club now defunct - the people of Bloemfontein have been starved of top-flight action. But this was until Marumo Gallants moved their home games to that region from last term.

The idea of a Celtic revival sparked hope. But there's a major snag. The name “Bloemfontein Celtic” isn’t up for grabs. Businessman Edward Mkhize, who bought the naming rights from former owner Max Tshabalala, currently owns the rights. He also owns Phunya Sele Sele and has his own ambitions to bring back Celtic through the more traditional route - by purchasing a National First Divisio club and rebranding it as Bloemfontein Celtic. For him, and many fans, that is the more authentic path to reviving Siwelele. This is probably why the Celtic United Group decided to name the club Siwelele Football Club, according to this report.

Frankly, no one knows for sure. The PSL will first have to approve the sale of Matsatsantsa - a process that should technically be straightforward, since it’s more about new management than a formal "status sale."

Still, there’s historical context to consider: SuperSport’s CEO Stan Matthews has, in the past, firmly denied that the club was for sale. This time, though, his silence is deafening.

No statement, no denial - just a growing sense that an era is quietly coming to an end. For the league, it’s yet another test of its integrity. For Bloemfontein, it’s a confusing whirlwind of revival hopes, naming rights battles, and political whispers.

And for the fans? It’s another reminder that in modern football, boardroom deals increasingly decide what happens on the pitch.

A consortium affiliated with Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie is said to be interested in buying SuperSport United, which are up for sale.

This is part of efforts to revive Bloemfontein Celtic, whose Premier Soccer League status was purchased by Royal AM in 2021.

However, Free State businessman Edward Modise, who bought Celtic's naming rights from Max Tshabalala, argues Phunya Sele Sele's name cannot be used.

This has seen a new team, Celtic United and Siwelele Football Club likely to emerge from the sale of SuperSport.

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