Mzansi Football's Fallen Giants: A Look At Iconic SA Clubs

After the PSL approved the sale of Moroka Swallows top-flight status to Marumo Gallants, we check out the long list of South Africa's fallen clubs.

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The story

After being relegated in the 2022/23 season, Marumo Gallants will make their return to the DStv Premiership next season after the Premier Soccer League approved Gallants owner, Abram Sello's purchase of Moroka Swallows' status.

Swallows have finally been put out of their financial misery and the sale of the outfit could put the final nail in the coffin for the Swallows brand.

This is officially the second death of Maswaiswai, after the original Moroka Swallows was relegated from the top flight in the 2014/15 and faded into obscurity after being relegated from the NFD in the 2015/16 campaign.

When Swallows FC bought Maccabi FC's status before the 2018/19, it brought some excitement among South African football purist, who were happy to see the revival of one of Mzansi's most storied football institutions.

Things seemed to be on the up with Soweto outfit being renamed Moroka Swallows, bringing back the iconic club name and signed a host of stars including former Bafana Bafana midfielder Andile Jali, Malawian attacker Gabadinho Mhango and enlisted the services of Steve Komphela as head coach.

A horror 2023/24 campaign soon followed, with the club parting ways with over ten players, citing financial strain and letting go of Komphela, who joined Golden Arrows in January.

The buying and selling of statuses is an unfortunate reality for South African football and its supporters, with Swallows just one of the many major clubs who have fallen by the wayside over the last two decades.

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From the devastating sale of Bloemfontein Celtics (bought by Shauwn Mkhize's Royal AM) to the senseless dismantling of Bidvest Wits (sold to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila), here's a long list of some of the fallen clubs in SA football:Some still exist in the lower tiers while others are completely defunct.

• Seven Stars (Western Cape)
• Manning Rangers (KwaZulu Natal)
• Mother City (Western Cape)
• Ria Stars (Limpopo)
• Tembisa Classic (Gauteng)
• Michau Warriors (Eastern Cape)
• Bidvest Wits (Gauteng)
• Platinum Stars (North West Province)
• D'Alberton Callies (Gauteng)
• Jomo Cosmos (Gauteng)
• Bloemfontein Celtic (Free State)
• Thanda Royal Zulu (KwaZulu Natal)
• Benoni United (Gauteng)
• Real Rovers (Limpopo)
• African Wanderers (KwaZulu Natal)
• Umtata Bush Bucks (Eastern Cape)
• Vaal Professionals (Gauteng)
• Mpumalanga/Witbank Black Aces (Mpumalanga)
• Ajax Cape Town (Western Cape)
• Santos (Western Cape) 
• Bay United (Port Elizabeth and later Polokwane)
• Rabali Blackpool (Limpopo)
• Hellenic (Western Cape)
• QwaQwa Stars/ Free State Stars (Free State)
• Pretoria City (Gauteng)