Santos boss refuses to give up on top-flight return

Santos FC chairperson Goolam Allie says the Cape Town club’s dream of returning to the Betway Premiership is still alive, even as they prepare for another tough season in the lower leagues.

South Africa’s Santos FC has lived through it all, from being a symbol of non-racial unity during apartheid to becoming champions of the country’s top flight.

Established in 1982, Santos rose through the ranks by lifting the Federation Professional League title multiple times before joining the Premier Soccer League [PSL].

Their golden era came in the early 2000s when they stunned the giants of South African football. The People’s Team famously won the 2001/02 PSL title, followed by the Bob Save Super Bowl in 2001 and the BP Top 8 in 2002, a period that cemented their name in local football folklore.

But since then, the journey has been rough. Relegated from the PSL in 2012 and then again in the 2016/17 season, Santos now find themselves battling in the third division, far from the bright lights they once knew. Yet, despite the setbacks, there’s still a belief that the comeback story isn’t over.

FARPost caught up with club chairperson Goolam Allie, who continues to carry the flame of hope for the Cape Town side.

“Last season, we looked like we were challenging; we finished second in our stream,” Allie told FARPost. “We have rebuilt this season, the players hop around, they finish a season here and the next season they’re somewhere else. It is a very difficult situation. So 80% of our squad is new. Very talented players and so on.

“We never say die. We continue to make the best efforts to get out of here; it is not the best league to be in. The conditions are very difficult. I still run the clubs with Under-8s, Under-10s, Under-12s, Under-14s, Under-16s, Under-18s, first team, first reserve, and then the [ABC] Motsepe team.

Asked if he still believes Santos can make it back to the Premier Soccer League, be it the Motsepe Foundation Championship or the Betway Premiership, Allie said: “If it is not in my lifetime, it has to happen for the people of Cape Town.

“There is so much talent in this city; there is a need for it. We have the history, and we have won major trophies. We are basically the last man standing from where we are from,” Allie concluded.