Following Marumo Gallants' confirmation of acquiring the DStv Premiership status of Moroka Swallows, a club that is set to buy their Motsepe Foundation Championship status has been revealed.
Gallants confirmed on Thursday that their purchase of Swallows has been approved by the PSL and they will be campaigning in the elite league, based in Free State, ahead of the 2024/25 season.
As a consequence, Bahlabane Ba Ntwa would have to relinquish their Motsepe Foundation Championship status.
READ | CONFIRMED: Moroka Swallows sold!
KickOff can exclusively reveal that ABC Motsepe League outfit Dondol Stars have an agreement with Gallants to buy their National First Division status, according to insiders at the club.
Stars were competing at the ABC Motsepe League national play-offs but could not get out of the group stages and missed out on direct promotion to the NFD.
Chaba Re Fete entered the third-tier national play-offs held in Upington as one of the favourites but did not meet the expectations and word reaching this website is that the players allegedly under-performed because they already knew that they would be playing in the NFD ahead of the new season, one way or another.
"The players were relaxed in the play-offs because they were already told by the management that they are going to buy the NFD status of Gallants, that's why they did not perform," an insider at the club told Kickoff.
"So the fighting spirit was not there, they already knew their futures were secured," added the source.
Dondol enhanced their reputation in South African football after reaching the quarter-finals of the Nedbank Cup last year, as they knocked out SuperSport United and AmaZulu before narrowly losing to Orlando Pirates on penalties.
Stars' run in the Nedbank Cup saw most of their players snapped by top sides at the end of the 2022/23 season, as goalkeeper Siphamandla Gumede was signed by Orlando Pirates, Tebogo Makungo was signed by University of Pretoria while Francious Baloyi and Thabang Mnyembane joined Polokwane City and Sekhukhune United respectively.
However, Dondol still boasts players that have attracted interest from PSL sides, including Mamelodi Sundowns academy graduate, defender Kamogelo Sambo.
This website understands that Golden Arrows, Rise and Shine and Venda Football Academy are all chasing Sambo's signature, who has also featured for the junior national teams and Bafana Bafana.