SD Mabaya Football Club’s executive chairman, Sipho Dzimba, has announced that the club will continue its participation in the local promotional league next season. This comes after the club’s leadership finalised an assessment of participating in the local league. Mabaya, also known as Abafana Bok’thula Nothando, is a soccer team based in Kildare near Bushbuckridge. It is owned by Sipho Dzimba and by Angel Mathebula.
For the past two years, Mabaya played in the promotional league, Ximhungwe County League, which is part of the Bushbuckridge Local Football Association. Dzimba said that their objective for the new season is to qualify for the Hollywoodbets Men’s Regional League playoffs. “We are extremely passionate about the local game, and also cherish seeing young people grow as footballers and members of the society. That’s the reason we keep on going.
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Our wish is to grow this club to become a formidable force in the country,” he said Dzimba stated they are working to become more professional. “In the new season, we want to win the local league. Therefore, this will effectively qualify SD Mabaya FC to participate in the playoffs for the Men’s Regional League,” he said. “Judging by how we performed last season in the league games, that’s an achievable objective.”
“We did well in our away games and come this season, SD Mabaya FC will be more ruthless during home games,” Dzimba said. The Kildare-based outfit had an impressive 2023/24 season in the league. Despite having a slow start due to the club not having a permanent home venue, Mabaya finished the season in the top eight. Their strikers, Melvin Mdhluli and Naki Ngwenya dominated the weekly goals’ scoring charts.
Mdhluli scored 14 goals for Mabaya and finished the season as a leading goal scorer. The team manager, Angel Mathebula said: “The boys worked so hard last season. They were a tough team to play against. Even the eventual league winners were afraid of the boys. So, it’s good to note that the chairman, Sipho Dzimba has announced that we will be back in the local space again,” she said. Mathebula lamented the standard of referring in the local league, which she described as poor.
“Last season, we felt as if Mabaya were targeted in some games, but our chairman and coach have addressed it at league meetings,” said Mathebula. She also requested local businesspeople to support the club. “A team like SD Mabaya FC with all its publicity and marketing, deserves to be among the best in the region. We truly need sponsors or partners to work with us.”
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“Our doors are wide open for anyone who wants to sponsor or partner with us,” she said Dzimba added that he hoped their head coach, Thulani Mhlongo would continue leading the club’s technical team and bench in the new season. “Thulani has led the team well, he is an experienced tactician and a sought-after coach. It’s a blessing for us at SD Mabaya FC to have him, said Dzimba.
