ATTEMPTING to pick who the winner of the 2024/25 Motsepe Foundation Championship will be is tantamount to trying to tell black from blue in the dark ... impossible.
Such is the tightness of South Africa’s second-tier league, which a man who has been involved in describes as a “dog-eat-dog division”.
Tlou Segolela, the former Orlando Pirates star who is now in charge of development at the newly-promoted Magesi FC, should know, having campaigned in that league just last season with Platinum City Rovers, whom he managed.
“This is a league of its own, hey. It is a very, very tricky league that requires consistency.
“But in terms of who might get promoted, you cannot write off the two that were in the play-offs: Tuks (University of Pretoria) and Baroka (FC).
“But also, Upington City should be in the mix. They are very robust at their home ground. It is a very difficult journey for the other teams to take.
✅ Highbury FC
✅ Kruger United
✅ Leruma United
✅ Durban City
When the #MotsepeFoundationChampionship gets underway on Friday, there will be four new names.
Here’s all you need to know about their journey. pic.twitter.com/2DRDEC814Y
“And then you’ve got the Capetonians (Cape Town Spurs), who have just got back (to the Championship). And they will want to do a yo-yo and come back (to the Premiership) immediately.
“And also Maritzburg (United, now going by the name of Durban City), their message from the start was loud and clear that they want to go back.”
Segolela also believes that the Tswhane duo of JDR Stars and Pretoria Callies will be there and thereabouts.
“JDR Stars are always consistent. If they miss the play-offs spot, they miss it by two or three points, and you’ve got your Callies that I hear have got a new board member. And if they’ve done that, we know that a new broom knows how to sweep better.”
Segolela feels Hungry Lions could be the surprise package, because “they are very consistent in their approach”.
“They know how to start well but struggle to finish. They’ve been in the Vodacom League and trying for many years going to the play-offs, and then they got it right. They’ve now been in the Championship for long, and if they’ve got it to the tee, I expect them to challenge.”
That he has so many clubs as potential title contenders is because the Championship is “tricky”.
Here are the 16 teams that will be participating in the #MotsepeFoundationChampionship for the 2024/2025 season. pic.twitter.com/VmrCd2SGiM
“We call it dog eats dog there, where players need to transform and understand that they are playing for promotion and nothing else.
“It is not a league where you can say someone did this last year, therefore this will happen.
“No, it always has surprises, and you can recall that Casric Stars at some point they were number one, but ...”
How you run the club plays a huge role in succeeding in the Championship, Segolela says.
“It is just that there is some certain consistency that is needed in terms of management and in terms of operations.
“Besides that, if you can make the players understand the league, that they know how to play (in the) league and you fulfil your promise to your players, then you are gone.”
Pushed to pick his potential top three, Segolela said: “My top three for this season – Tuks would be a contender, Upington City and Cape Town Spurs.”
🔵🔴🟡AmaTuks Technical Team🟡🔴🔵
We welcome the newly appointed members of the technical team:
Khomotso "Viera" Mbetse - assistant Coach
Lindokuhle Ntshauba - Team Physiotherapist
The team will continue to be led by Head Coach Tlisane Motaung#teamtuks#stripegeneration pic.twitter.com/6VORuJCyAB
Opening Fixtures
Tomorrow: Highbury FC v Black Leopards (Isaac Woolfson Stadium, 3pm), Durban City FC v Casric Stars (Chatsworth Stadium, 7.30pm)
Saturday (all 3pm): Hungry Lions v Kruger United (Suzuki Stadium, Kimberley), JDR Stars v Upington City (Giants Stadium), Leruma United v Pretoria Callies (Lucas Moripe Stadium), Venda FC v Milford FC (Thohoyandou Stadium)
Sunday, 3pm: Baroka FC v Orbit College FC (Global Stadium), University of Pretoria v Cape Town Spurs (Tuks Stadium)