A province that is generally renowned for its professional clubs being poorly administered and often everyone’s popular choice for producing the relegated club, Limpopo has had a remarkably good 2024/25 Premiership season.
Two of the province’s three teams – Sekhukhune United and Polokwane City – made the Top 8, while Premiership rookies Magesi defied the odds with a 13th-place finish.
Tipped by most punters to bite the dust by the end of the season, Dikwena more than survived the immediate drop back to the Motsepe Foundation Championship – the club from Moletjie announced their arrival in the elite league in spectacular fashion by winning the Carling Knockout.
You know it was a fantastic season for the province when Sekhukhune’s fourth-place finish left the club disappointed, Ba Bina Noko having missed out on the coveted third place that would have earned them continental football participation.
City, on the other hand, finished in the Top 8 yet again by securing seventh place. Even they will be looking back at the season with some regret, Rise and Shine having had a spectacular start to the campaign and occupying fourth spot for a significant time – only for the wheels to come off after the first round.
Brilliant as the final outcomes have been for the province’s clubs, the administrative failings remained – the trio’s management typically making decisions that beggared belief.
Sekhukhune kick-started the season with the appointment of German Peter Hyballa, only to sack him before he could even take charge of a match – due to being spotted at a brothel. Incredibly, they brought back Lehlohonolo Seema, whom they had dismissed shortly before the end of the previous campaign.
Seema did fairly well as he led Sekhukhune to the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals, but he was soon sent out to pasture. The club brought in Eric Tinkler – himself declared surplus to requirements at Cape Town City – with the aim of qualifying for the CAF Confederation Cup.
They missed out by two points, as Stellenbosch FC earned the right to return to a competition where they had impressed on debut by reaching the semi-final. Still, fourth place was a good finish for Sekhukhune.
Polokwane City qualifying for the Top 8 is always an achievement for a club that is never without drama. The decision to stick with Phuti Mohafe as coach is bearing fruit, as there was continuity this campaign, with City beginning the season well and collecting plenty of points early on.
Typically, though, club boss Johnny Mogaladi courted controversy. His decision to withdraw players Rodney Maphangule and Mokibelo Ramabu from the Bafana Bafana squad headed to Malawi for the CHAN qualifier – just before they were due to fly out – spoke volumes about the man’s lack of professionalism.
Magesi came into the elite league amid much fanfare, with coach Clinton Larsen celebrated as a Limpopo hero.
He added to that legacy by leading the club to victory over Mamelodi Sundowns in the Carling Knockout final. Yet, no sooner had he done that than he was ‘resigning’, as positive results in the league proved hard to come by and relegation loomed large.
Enter Owen da Gama and the club’s move to Seshego Stadium from the old Peter Mokaba Stadium, and suddenly Magesi became invincible – going seven matches unbeaten at home to serve large helpings of humble pie to punters who had predicted they would yo-yo back to the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
