How a soccer ball donation influenced the formation of Magesi FC
Magesi FC owner Solly Makhubela has narrated how a simple donation sparked the creation of a club that would rise to the top of South African football – the DStv Premiership.
The club is the latest member of the South African Premier division after being crowned champions of the 2023/24 Motsepe Foundation Championship.
They finished the season in the second-tier league with 57 points under the guidance of coach Clinton Larsen.
Following Magesi’s promotion to SA’s elite league, Makhubela has spoken about how their interest in running a club started with just a donation of soccer balls to local boys 13 years ago.
HOW NEWLY PROMOTED DSTV PREMIERSHIP SIDE MAGESI FC WAS FORMED
“The team was named Magesi in 2011, but I started with football in 2009,” said Makhubela, who named the club Magesi in honour of his late father.
“When I started, I was approached by local boys from my community in Moletjie Mabokelele [Limpopo]. I used to return home every Friday while I was working in Johannesburg. So, while I was on my way home, the local boys approached me, asking for a donation of two balls. I managed to buy that for them.
“They then asked for soccer T-shirts and I also bought for them. So they ended up asking if I could join them when they play in local tournaments, and I travelled with them to a few tournaments,” explained Makhubela.
“I remember in 2011, they played around 16 tournaments and won 14 of them. So that’s when I saw potential in those boys. I asked them a simple question of why they are not playing in any organised league. They said the problem was that there were only a few teams in the province to join. So, it was difficult to make it during soccer trials because of the number of players there.”
HOW SOLLY MAKHUBELA ACQUIRED HIS FIRST FOOTBALL TEAM STATUS
“To be honest with you I was enjoying the football when these boys played. So, in 2011, I was told about an available [SAB regional] status in Thohoyandou, and I bought it.
“I took the same team that was playing in tournaments to play in the newly bought team. But while we were busy in that league, I got another call about the available [ABC Motsepe League] status from a club called Peace Lovers. So, I managed to buy the status. I took the same team that was playing in the tournaments and moved with them because it was just a community team.
“The first year, we managed to save the status. The third year was when we were competing with Baroka for position one. But Baroka won and went to the playoffs. After Baroka got promoted [to the National First Division] we managed to be number one in Limpopo. We went to the playoffs but couldn’t succeed.”
“The second season, we went again for the national playoffs, and again, we didn’t succeed. But the third year, we played in Bloemfontein and got it right.”
Magesi then spent a season in the Motsepe Foundation Championship in 2016/17 before they were relegated. They bounced back after winning the promotional playoffs in 2022.
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