End of an era: Royal AM's turbulent chapter in South African football nears conclusion

The South African football fraternity should breathe a sigh of relief as the long-running spectacle of Shauwn Mkhize’s Royal AM circus nears its final act.

What began as an ambitious yet controversial venture has spiralled into a saga of legal battles, financial mismanagement, and questionable decisions that have embarrassed the local game.

Now, with the club on the brink of a much-needed change in leadership, South African football can finally look forward to restoring some dignity and professionalism to the sport.

This week, the South African Revenue Services put the club up for sale, with the deadline for prospective new owners at the end of next week. By March 17, the club could have new owners. That date can’t come soon enough.

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Royal AM have been making a mockery of the local game ever since Mkhize bought the club for her then teenage son Andile Mpisane, who at the age of 19 became the youngest chairman of a professional club.

Who can forget the 2020/21 campaign, when the club took the PSL to court after failing to gain automatic promotion to the top-flight? After their bid to gain promotion via the courts failed, Mkhize simply opened her wallet and purchased the status of the beloved Bloemfontein Celtic.

And when her team were finally in the top-flight, the controversies didn’t stop there. Eyebrows were raised when she handed out cash bonuses to her players on the field after a game. Or, what about when the club refused to pay Samir Nurkovic and Ricardo Nascimento the monies they were owed when they were contracted to the club?

Their refusal to pay Nurkovic and Nascimento would go on to earn them a transfer ban from world football governing body FIFA.

And then, when you thought they couldn’t make a bigger mockery of the game, they started fielding Mpisane, who fashioned himself as “Expensive 10”. Mpisane was clearly out of his depth, and the team felt it whenever he was on the field.

A game where this was clearly evident was their Betway Premiership clash against Kaizer Chiefs at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. In the first half, Thwihli Thwahla were overrun in midfield with Ox Mthethwa, who Mpissane was supposed to keep an eye on, having a whale of a time.

Chiefs ended the half 2-0 up. But after Mpisane was taken off at the break, Royal AM started to play with a bit more purpose and they were eventually able to pull two goals back and earn a credible 2-2 draw.

After the controversial Mkhize’s home was raided over unpaid taxes back in November, the writing was on the wall. Since then, fans across the country have been shocked by how much of a mockery the club have made of South African football. But, it should come as no surprise as the signs were all there from the start.

But, now that MaMkhize’s time as a football club owner is about to end, football fans should be grateful this whole saga isn’t going to last much longer.

With new ownership on the horizon, there is hope that Royal AM can rebuild its reputation — under a new name, of course — and restore integrity to the club. A fresh start under competent leadership could allow the team to focus on football rather than off-field controversies that have plagued them since their inception.

For South African football, this marks an opportunity to move forward, free from the distractions and circus-like antics that have defined Royal AM’s tenure. The league and its supporters deserve a club that upholds the values of professionalism, transparency, and respect for the game.

IOL Sport