SD Mabaya FC to honour players
SD Mabaya Football Club’s executive chairman, Sipho Dzimba, has announced that the club will host its first annual end-of-the-season awards ceremony after a successful local season.
Mabaya is from Kildare in Bushbuckridge and played in the Mpumalanga league for the second year after the team relocated from Soshanguve to Kildare. The team finished the season in eighth place in the Ximhungwe Country League’s central stream. Abafana Bok’thula Nothando, as Mabaya is also known, ended above their traditional rivals, Eleven Experience, Jongilanga Big 15, and PSG on the log standing.
But it was their seven games unbeaten run at the beginning of the season’s second half that excited their large fan base. After beating clubs like Nghunghunyana, Black Rangers, Shepherd United, and Lillydale Hotspurs, Mabaya stamped their authority onto the campaign. During the season, Mabaya also thrashed their archrivals, PSG with a 4-0 score at the Ximhungwe Sports Field in Kildare‚ and upset African Elephants 2-1 away in Cork village in April.
Mathebula, and head coach Thulani Njomane. > Photo: SD Mabaya FC
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These games prompted the club’s fans to display their happiness by going on social media platforms celebrating the milestones. It was the club’s biggest victories since its formation ten years ago. “As a club, we believe that this season’s group of players has to be recognised. They have displayed hunger, passion, and determination,and we have to formally applaud them for their dedication. The boys went the extra mile in their work,” said Dzimba.
“This kind of ceremony will assist in encouraging the winners to keep working hard and learning more about the game. Hopefully, in the next few years, we’ll see some of these youngsters picked up by professional teams. “We also want to use this as an opportunity for local businesses and other brands to associate themselves not only with the club but also with the players,” Dzimba said.
Angel Mathebula, the team manager, said the date and venue for the awards ceremony will be announced soon. She encouraged supporters of Mabaya to follow them on social media. She said they are currently liaising with some teams in Tzaneen to take part in preparing for the 2024/25 season, as they might play in the SAFA Men’s Regional League next season.
“We want to establish relationships with teams like Joppie All Stars FC and Maruleng Celtics FC as well,” said Dzimba For more information, contact Dzimba at 063 416 0210 or 082 757 1335 or arenaofsport@gmail.com.
