This comes after the announcement that the “Lions of the North”, newly promoted Highlands Park Football Club, will utilise the township facility as an alternative home ground for the 2016/2017 Absa Premier Soccer League campaign.
The Johannesburg North-based side will also use Tembisa’s Makhulong Stadium for home matches which served as the club’s base during the National First Division (NFD) season and where a strong support has developed for the team in the area.
The club will be hoping that through their new top-flight football status they can further grow their reach in Daveyton and Ekurhuleni overall as well.
The announcement of Sinaba as a PSL venue was made on Thursday, June 23, at a congratulatory breakfast held by the mayor of Ekurhuleni, Clr Mondli Gungubele.
Gungubele addressed the team and praised them for being role models for young people in the townships.
He also said the metro is committed towards supporting the team’s success and is working towards turning Makhulong into a Mecca of township football development.
Highlands Parks’ promotion to the top level of South African professional football is something of a fairy-tale story.
Just three years ago the club was competing in the third tier of local football.
Last year the team finished in 11th position in their maiden NFD campaign and brought in some quality players and coaching staff for the 2015/2016 NFD season in a bid to achieve PSL promotion.
The impact made by coach Allan Freese, who formerly led the charge at Platinum Stars, cannot be understated and he was a key figure in the team’s jump into the big time.
This season Freese’s team finished as runners-up to NFD champions Baroka FC which meant that they qualified for the PSL promotional play-offs.
In the play-offs, Highlands Park beat third-placed NFD side Mbombela United 3-0 and defeated 15th placed PSL team, University of Pretoria 1-0.
This meant that Highlands needed one point against United in the return match to gain promotion.
They achieved all three points and earned their place in the PSL.
Their promotion also effectively relegated the University of Pretoria from the PSL.
Daveyton soccer lovers could get a glimpse of league bigwigs such as Kaizer Chiefs for the first time since the 2006/2007 season when Benoni Premier United also known as “The Rabbits” played out of the stadium.
The Rabbits were bought by a Swedish consortium that included former England and Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.
The new owners moved the franchise from Benoni to KwaZulu-Natal and renamed the club Thanda Royal Zulu.
Follow us on these platforms:
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp: 079 431 2006
Instagram: benonicitytimes.co.za
