Polokwane City Football Club is a South African professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club based in the city of
in the
Limpopo
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is ...
province that currently plays in the second tier
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 team currently plays its home matches at the
Peter Mokaba Stadium
The Peter Mokaba Stadium is a football and rugby union stadium in Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg), South Africa, that was used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has a capacity of 45,500 but for the purposes of the 2010 FIFA World Cup the seating cap ...
.
History
Polokwane City FC was established in 2012 although after the owners of
Bay United
Bay United was a South African professional association football, football (soccer) club based first in the city of Port Elizabeth and later Polokwane. It played in the South African Premier Division and National First Division.
The club came in ...
sold the franchise to the Mogaladi family. After playing in various temporary venues, the club was moved officially from
Port Elizabeth
Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...
to Polokwane City.
Bay United originally came into existence in 2006 when the franchise of the struggling National First Division club
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 ...
was purchased and relocated to
Port Elizabeth
Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...
. The club spent
one season in the
Premier Soccer League
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
, and the other years of its existence in the National First Division. Following the 2010–11 NFD season, the club's NFD franchise was moved to Polokwane, Limpopo.
In May 2013 City was promoted to the
Premier Soccer League
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
.
Honours
*National First Division: 1
::Champions: 2012–13
November 2012 accident
Four of the club's players died in a traffic accident on 11 November 2012. The crash occurred on the R71 highway, near
as the players were returning from their match against
FC AK
FC AK is a South African football club from the West Rand, 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 ...
. A 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drunken and reckless driving. The deceased players were:
''Kickoff'', South Africa: Deceased Polokwane City players named
/ref>
* Khomotso Silvester Mpaketsane (27) – born 13 April 1985 – joined the club in January 2011 (during Bay United F.C. season) and stayed after move to Polokwane
* Benjamin Moeketsi Nthete (23) – born 22 February 1989 – attacker who joined the club in 2012 on loan from Orlando Pirates
Orlando Pirates Football Club (often known as "The Buccaneers") is a South African professional football club based in the Houghton suburb of the city of Johannesburg and plays in the top-tier system of Football in South Africa known as DStv ...
* Mojalefa Robert Mphuthi (21) – born 31 August 1991 – striker, nicknamed 'Small', who joined the club after it moved to Polokwane
* Koketso Isaiah Takalo (20) – born 15 February 1992 – left-wing, nicknamed 'Kaiser' or 'KK', who joined the club after it moved to Polokwane
Club officials/Technical team
*Owner/President: Phillemon Moloi
*Chairman: Isaac Moloi
*Team manager: Molato Motloung
*Coach: Clinton Larsen
Clinton Larsen (born 17 February 1971 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal) is a South African former football player and manager who was last manager of Polokwane City in the South African Premier Division
The South African Premier Division, official ...
*Fitness Coach: Patuwe Tsotetsi
*Assistant Coach: Cynthia Leteane
*Physiotherapists: Puleng Mokoena
*Kit Manager: Monyane Sabesa
*Goalkeeper Coach:"'Sello Modise"'
Current squad
''Updated 9 March 2020.''
Foreigners
In the South African PSL, only five non-South African nationals can be registered. Foreign players who have acquired permanent residency
Permanent residency is a person's legal resident status in a country or territory of which such person is not a citizen but where they have the right to reside on a permanent basis. This is usually for a permanent period; a person with suc ...
can be registered as locals. Namibians born before 1990 can be registered as South Africans.
* Boban Zirintusa
Boban Zirintusa Bogere (born 2 February 1992) is a Ugandan professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder (association football), midfielder for Mtibwa Sugar F.C., Mtibwa in Tanzania Premier League and for the Uganda nat ...
* George Chigova
* Carlington Nyadombo
* Banele Sikhondze
----
;permanent residency
* Essau Kanyenda
Essau Black-Mamba Kanyenda (born 27 September 1982) is a former Malawian international footballer who played as a striker.
Career
Kanyenda started his career in 1998 in Malawi's First Division for FC Welfare in Dwangwa. He was spotted by Jom ...
Shirt sponsor & kit manufacturer
*Shirt sponsor: None
*Kit manufacturer: Mrprice Sports
Notable former coaches
* Vladislav Heric (1 July 2012 – 21 Jan 2013)
* Duncan Lechesa (22 Jan 2013 – 18 Sept 2013)
* Eduardo Schoeler ''(interim)'' (18 Sept 2013 – 20 Oct 2013)
* Boebie Solomons
Abubakaar "Boebie" Solomons (born 22 March 1955 in Cape Town) is a South African football (soccer), football coach (sports), coach who last coached South African Premier Division, Premier Soccer League club Polokwane City F.C., Polokwane City. H ...
(20 Oct 2013 – 1 Sept 2014)
* Kosta Papić
Kosta Papić ( sr-Cyrl, Коста Папић; born 17 July 1960) is a Serbian football coach who has managed a number of great African clubs in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania.
Coaching career
Previous clubs: Kaizer Chiefs, Maritzbur ...
(5 Sept 2014 – 15 Oct 2015)
* Júlio Leal (12 Nov 2015 – 6 July 2016)
* Luc Eymael
Luc Eymael (born 20 September 1959) is a Belgian football manager and former player,and married to Patricia Abbruzzese.
Playing career
Luc began his professional footballing career in 1975 with the Fléron-based Royal Star Fléron Football Clu ...
(6 July 2016 – 2018)
* Jozef Vukušič
Jozef Vukušič (born 31 August 1964) is a former football player from Slovakia who currently manages FC Košice
Career Managerial
Previously Vukušič managed FC Nitra, FC Cape Town and Polokwane City F.C. from South Africa.
On 8 January 2016, ...
(2018–2019)
References
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.polokwanecityfc.co.za
Premier Soccer League
PSL Club Info
South African Football Association
Confederation of African Football
Soccer clubs in Limpopo
National First Division clubs
Polokwane
2012 establishments in South Africa
Association football clubs established in 2012