Richards Bay FC chairman Sfiso ‘Jomo’ Biyela has revealed why he rejected a staggering R72 million offer to sell the club’s status, opting to maintain ownership.
The Natal Rich Boyz have been in the PSL’s top-flight for the past three seasons, having secured promotion after winning the 2021/22 second-tier league.
Their debut campaign saw a promising start, though they ultimately finished 13th after a challenging second half of the season.
The following campaign proved even tougher, as they ended up in 15th place and only avoided relegation by winning the PSL Promotional/Relegation Playoffs.
However, last season marked a significant turnaround, as they secured an impressive eighth-place finish, earning a spot in the MTN8 for the very first time since joining the Betway Premiership.
Biyela has revealed that he was approached with an offer exceeding R70 million to sell the club’s top-flight status. He rejected it, prioritising “legacy” over financial gain.
BIYELA – ‘WE CANNOT MAKE MONEY AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR SUPPORTERS’
“I’ve got someone I won’t mention by name here, they sent me a message this morning [Tuesday], saying there’s a desperate club looking to buy in the top-flight,” said Biyela. “They stated that they put up R60 million. They told me if I sign, the money can kick in just the next day. And they also put R12 million or R15 million, it’ll be up to me if I take the status in the NFD.
“Think about it, it’s R72 million. I asked them if they knew what a legacy meant. I said to them, legacy is priceless, there’s no value you can table here, try elsewhere.
“How can we play outside Richards Bay for five years [playing home matches in Durban] and just when people are excited that we’re coming back to town, and then we, out of the blue, sell the club. We all need money, but we cannot make money at the expense of people who have prayed and supported us.
“Where would I live. [If I sold the club]? I’d have to run away from the people of Richards Bay and stay in Johannesburg.
“What we’re trying to say is we really value this club, it’s not ours, it’s for the community of King Cetshwayo, it’s for uMhlathuze. We are proud to represent this community.”
As per the sources, the club that presented an offer to Richards Bay is Cape Town City FC who were recently relegated via PSL Promotional/Relegation Playoffs.
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