Jomo Cosmos are a
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
n
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
club based in
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
that plays in the
National First Division
The National First Division (NFD), officially known as the Motsepe Foundation Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest league of South African club association football, football after the South African Premier Division. Both t ...
. The club is owned and coached by
South African football legend
Jomo Sono
Ephraim Matsilele Sono OIS (born Madoda Walletjies Mkulwana, 17 July 1955), better known as Jomo Sono, is a South African football club owner, coach and former professional footballer. He has been variously nicknamed the "Black Prince of South ...
.
In the 2021-2022 National First Division season the club was relegated to the Third Division stream of professional football in South Africa.
History
The club was founded on 29 January 1983, upon the remnants of the previously well-known and successful club
Highlands Park
Highlands Park Football Club was a South African professional soccer club who played in Modderfontein, Johannesburg. They were founded in 2003 as a phoenix club to the earlier Highlands Park F.C. (1959) and Highlands Park F.C. (1990) The c ...
, which Sono opted to buy when he ended his playing career in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The club was named Dion Cosmos in its initial 1983 season, with the first part of the name representing the previous sponsor of ''Highlands Park'' and the second part being the fingerprint of Jomo Sono, who decided to name his newly bought club after his former
NASL club, the
New York Cosmos New York Cosmos may refer to
* New York Cosmos (1970–1985), a team in the North American Soccer League (then the top-tier soccer league in the United States and Canada)
* New York Cosmos (2010), a team playing since 2020 in the National Independ ...
. Since 1984, the name of the club has been Jomo Cosmos.
Sono's policy for development has always been to recognise and build upon raw talent. Sono's team accentuated and developed a strong youth policy and through the years has gained a reputation for discovering and developing some of the finest talent to have played in the league, for the
South Africa national team and abroad. Under Sono's ownership, the club went on to achieve several successes: winning the
South African Premier Division
The South African Premier Division, officially referred to as the DStv Premiership for sponsorship purposes, is the premier men's professional football/soccer league and the highest division in the league system of South Africa, organized sinc ...
title in 1987, the
Bob Save Super Bowl
The Nedbank Cup is the current name of South Africa's premier club soccer knockout tournament. While many formats have been used over the years, the tournament has always been based on the idea of giving lower league and amateur teams a chance ...
in 1990,
the
Coca-Cola Cup in 2002 and 2005, and the
SAA Supa 8 in 2003.
In 2008, Jomo Cosmos were relegated from top-flight football for the first time since 1993.
After one season in the
National First Division
The National First Division (NFD), officially known as the Motsepe Foundation Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest league of South African club association football, football after the South African Premier Division. Both t ...
, they returned to the PSL for the
2009–10 season, having won the Inland Stream and the promotion play-off against
Carara Kicks
Carara Kicks was a South African football (soccer) club based in Welkom, Free State that played in the
National First Division.
The club is owned by Motebang Mokoena, the son of Free State Stars owner Mike Mokoena and serves as a feeder team t ...
.
They were immediately relegated again, leading several to question Sono's future as the club's manager.
Sono stayed, and led the club to the
2010–11 National First Division title and promotion.
They were yet again relegated in their first season back, finishing in last place.
They would stay in the second tier for three seasons, before winning promotion through the
2014-15 PSL play-off tournament.
Cosmos were relegated again in their
first season back, after losing 3–1 to
Maritzburg United
Maritzburg United is a South African football club based in the city of Pietermaritzburg that currently plays in the Premier Soccer League.
Honours
*First Division Coastal Stream champions: 2007–08
*First Division Championship Play-offs: 2 ...
on the final day, ending the season in last place.
Honours
*Telkom Knockout: 3
::2002, 2003, 2005
*Nedbank Cup: 1
::1990
*NSL: 1
::1987
*Second Division: 1
::1994
Club records
*Most starts:
Andrew Rabutla 229
*Most goals:
Manuel Bucuane 88
*Most capped player:
Manuel Bucuane
*Most starts in a season:
Webster Lichaba
Webster "City Late" Lichaba (born 6 October 1954) is a retired South African football (soccer) midfielder who played for Orlando Pirates, Atlanta Chiefs and Jomo Cosmos.
Youth career
Born in Mzimhlophe, he lived a street away from Ryder M ...
(1986),
Helman Mkhalele
Helman Nkosiyethu Mkhalele (born 20 October 1969) is a South African former soccer player who played as a midfielder. He was the part of the Orlando Pirates squad that won the 1994 National Soccer League and 1995 African Cup of Champions Club ...
(1993) both 46
*Most goals in a season:
Philemon Masinga
Philemon Raul Masinga (28 June 1969 – 13 January 2019) was a South African professional footballer and manager who played as a striker from 1990 to 2002.
He played in the English Premier League for Leeds United, and Italian Serie A for Saler ...
27 (1991)
*Record victory: 6–0 vs
Grand All Stars (31 August 1985), (Mainstay Cup); vs
Mabopane United Brothers
Mabopane is a residential suburb in South Africa. It is situated in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, to the north of Pretoria in Gauteng.
History Proclamation
Mabopane was proclaimed in 1959 as a black-only residential settlement by the th ...
(30 August 1986), (Mainstay Cup);
vs
Umtata Bush Bucks
Bush Bucks is a South African association football club. The club was founded in 1957 and originally based in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. In 2001, the team moved to East London. It was nicknamed ''Imbabala (The Bucks)''.
History
The club was fo ...
(28 March 1992), (NSL); vs
Denver Sundowns (21 February 1993), (African Cup Winners Cup)
*Record defeat: 0–5 vs
Kaizer Chiefs (24 December 2001), (Coca-Cola Cup)
Historical League results
*1983 (NPSL) – 9th
*1984 (NPSL) – 9th
*
1985 (NSL) – 4th
*
1986 (NSL) – 12th
*
1987 (NSL) – 1st
*
1988 (NSL) – 2nd
*
1989 (NSL) – 4th
*
1990 (NSL) – 5th
*
1991 (NSL) – 7th
*
1992 (NSL) – 5th
*
1993 (NSL) – 18th
*Rel
*1994 (OKL) – 2nd
*Pro
*
1995 (NSL) – 10th
*1996 (League phase) – 7th
*
1996–97 (PSL) – 7th
*
1997–98 (PSL) – 7th
*
1998–99 (PSL) – 10th
*
1999–00 (PSL) – 7th
*
2000–01 (PSL) – 4th
*
2001–02 (PSL) – 4th
*
2002–03 (PSL) – 8th
*
2003–04 (PSL) – 13th
*
2004–05 (PSL) – 13th
*
2005–06 (PSL) – 9th
*
2006–07 (PSL) – 7th
*
2007–08 (PSL) – 16th
*Rel
*
2008–09 (NFD) – 1st
*Pro
*
2009–10 (PSL) – 16th
*Rel
*
2010–11 (NFD) – 1st
*Pro
*
2011–12 (PSL) – 16th
*Rel
*
2012–13 (NFD) – 14th
*
2013–14 (NFD) – 6th
*
2014–15 (NFD) – 2nd
*Pro
*
2015–16 (PSL) – 16th
*Rel
*
2016–17 (NFD) – 10th
*
2017-18 (NFD) – 3rd
*
2018-19 (NFD) – 13th
*
2019-20 (NFD) - 13th
Club officials/Technical team
*Owner/Chairman:
Jomo Sono
Ephraim Matsilele Sono OIS (born Madoda Walletjies Mkulwana, 17 July 1955), better known as Jomo Sono, is a South African football club owner, coach and former professional footballer. He has been variously nicknamed the "Black Prince of South ...
*Football manager:
Bamuza Sono
*Coach: Jomo Sono
*Assistant coaches:
Siza Dlamini
Siza Selby Dlamini (born 2 April 1976) is a Swaziland, Swazi retired association football, football striker. He has been capped for Eswatini national football team, Eswatini. He was also named a top 10 COSAFA Cup Legend.
He served as an assistant ...
&
Gerald Mtshali
*Goalkeeping coaches:
Mpangi Merikani &
Avril Phali
First team squad
''2019-20 season''
Shirt sponsor and kit manufacturer
*Shirt sponsor: N/A
*Kit manufacturer: N/A
References
External links
*
Premier Soccer League
{{National First Division
Association football clubs established in 1983
Premier Soccer League clubs
Soccer clubs in Johannesburg
National First Division clubs
1983 establishments in South Africa