SAFA Second Division
The ABC Motsepe League, previously known as the Vodacom League between 1998 and 2012, was founded in 1998 as the current Second Division and the overall third tier of South African football. The competition is regulated by SAFA, and until 2012 had been sponsored by mobile telecommunications company Vodacom.
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Founded | 1998 |
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Country | ![]() |
Confederation | South African Football Association |
Divisions | 9 |
Number of teams | 144 |
Promotion to | GladAfrica Championship |
Relegation to | U21 SAB Regional League |
Domestic cup(s) | Nedbank Cup |
Most championships | Roses United |
Website | Official Site |
Current: 2019–20 SAFA Second Division |
Currently it features 144 teams in total, divided into 9 divisions, borderly decided by the 9 geo-political provinces of South Africa: Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West. This means, that each Provincial division contains 16 teams as standard. The winner of each Provincial division qualifies for the annual Promotional Playoffs, where the winners of two streams, will get promoted to the National First Division. In each Province, the two lowest-ranked teams by the end of the season, will be relegated to U21 SAB Regional League, which in return will promote two playoff winners from the Regional Championships.
An important rule to note, is that all clubs in South Africa also are allowed to compete with youth teams (U19/U21) and/or a Reserve team in a lower SAFA league. If a club opt to field such teams, the U19 teams will start out at the fifth level in the U19 National League, while U21 teams or Reserve teams will start out at the fourth level in the U21 SAB Regional League. If any U19 team win promotion for U21 SAB Regional League or SAFA Second Division, this promotion is fully accepted. No club are however entitled to field two teams at the same level, and rule 4.6.4 of the SAFA regulations states, that if the mother club play in the National First Division or Premier Soccer League, then the highest level these additional Youth/Reserve teams are allowed to compete, will be the SAFA Second Division. In such cases, where a non-promotable team manage to win their regional division, the ticket for the promotional playoffs will instead be handed over to the second-best team in the division.[1]
In the 2010–11 season these promotional restrictions mean, that: Ajax Cape Town U19, Bay Academy, Bid Boys, Celtic Colts, SuperSport T.H. Academy and Mitchells Plain United, were all accepted to play in the league, but without any possibility of further promotion.
In March 2014, the Motsepe Foundation signed a five-year deal for the naming rights of the competition worth 40 million ZAR. Patrice Motsepe named the competition in honour of his late father, Augustine Butana Chaane Motsepe.[2]
Provincial divisions
![](../I/South_African_Football_Association_streams_map.svg.png.webp)
Inland Stream |
Coastal Stream |
The 9 geographical provinces of South Africa, each have a local division in the SAFA Second Division. These divisions belong either to the Inland Stream or Coastal Stream, which are used to place the provincial winners into two round robin groups, at the promotional playoff stage by the end of the season. The Coastal Stream comprises: Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape; while the Inland Stream comprises: Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West. In previous years, until August 2008, the Free State province belonged to the Inland Stream.
Provincial winners
Coastal Stream
Eastern Cape
Kwazulu Natal
|
Northern Cape
Western Cape
|
Coastal Stream / Inland Stream
Free State belonged to the Inland Stream from 1998 to 2008, but was transferred to the Coastal Stream for subsequent seasons.
Free State
Season | Winner | Runner-Up |
---|---|---|
1998–99 | ||
1999–00 | City Drifters | |
2000–01 | Welkom Stars | Maholosiane |
2001–02 | Maholosiane | Roses United |
2002–03 | Roses United | Dikoena |
2003–04 | Kroonstad Rovers | |
2004–05 | Motheo United Warriors | |
2005–06 | Black Mambas | |
2006–07 | African Warriors | |
2007–08 | Carara Kicks F.C. | Mafube United F.C. |
2008–09 | United | |
2009–10 | Roses United | Maluti FET College |
2010–11 | Roses United | Botshabelo |
2011–12 | Roses United | Maluti FET College |
2012–13 | Maluti FET College | |
2013–14 | Sibanye Golden Stars | Bubchu United |
2014–15 | Roses United | Super Eagles |
2015–16 | Manco Milano | Mangaung Unite |
2016–17 | Super Eagles | Harmony FC |
2017–18[23] | Mangaung Unite | Bloemfontein Young Tigers FC |
2018–19[24] | Mangaung Unite | Bloemfontein Young Tigers FC |
2019–20[25] | Mangaung Unite | Super Eagles |
Inland Stream
Gauteng
Limpopo
|
Mpumalanga
North west
|
Promoted teams
In the seasons from 1998 to 2003, the four best teams from the Vodacom League—determined by annual playoffs among the winners and runners-up of the 9 provinces in South Africa—won promotion for the National First Division. The playoff system divided the teams into an Inland Stream and Coastal Stream, where the best two teams from each stream won promotion.
In the seasons after 2003, the number of annually promoted teams decreased to 2. The concept of the playoff system, however, remained the same, in regards of dividing the teams into a Coastal Stream and Inland Stream, but now of course only to reward the winner of both streams with promotion. Both promoted teams will then finally also meet to play the overall final, where the overall league championship trophy is at stake.
The list below show all the promoted teams, since 1998.
Promoted Teams | ||
---|---|---|
Season | Inland Stream | Coastal Stream |
1998–99 | Arcadia Shepherds Mapate Silver Stars |
Premier United Blackburn Rovers |
1999–00 | Ledwaba Power Stars Alexandra United |
Maritzburg City Basotho Tigers |
2000–01 | Welkom Stars Mamelodi Juventus |
William Prescod PE Technikon |
2001–02 | Maholosiane Peoples Bank Spurs |
Moja United Juventus (Western Cape) |
2002–03 | Winners Park FC Sporting |
Vasco da Gama Blackburn Rovers |
Promoted Teams | ||
Season | Winner | Runner-up |
2003–04 | Pretoria University | Louisvale Pirates |
2004–05 | Witbank Spurs | PJ Stars Kings |
2005–06 | OR Tambo DC | Garankuwa United |
2006–07 | African Warriors | Hanover Park |
2007–08 | Vasco da Gama | Carara Kicks |
2008–09 | United | Batau |
2009–10 | FC AK | Blackburn Rovers |
2010–11 | Chippa United | Sivutsa Stars |
2011–12 | Roses United F.C. | Milano United F.C. |
2012–13 | Baroka | Maluti FET College |
2013–14 | Cape Town All Stars | Highlands Park |
2014–15 | Mbombela United | Mthatha Bucks |
2015–16 | Magezi F.C | Kings United |
2016–17 | Uthongathi | Super Eagles[38] |
2017–18[39] | Maccabi | TS Sporting |
2018–19 |
JDR Stars | Steenberg United |
2019–20[40] |
Bizana Pondo Chiefs | Pretoria Callies |
References
- SAFA. "Rules and Regulations" (PDF). Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- "Motsepe Foundation sponsor Second Division". SuperSport. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
- "ABC Motsepe Eastern Cape Log 2015/2016". Diski Zone. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
- "ABC Motsepe Eastern Cape Log 2016/2017 - Diski Zone".
- "ABC Motsepe Eastern Cape Log 2017/2018 - Diski Zone".
- "ABC Motsepe Eastern Cape Log 2018/2019 - Diski Zone".
- "ABC Motsepe KZN Log 2016/2017 - Diski Zone".
- "ABC Motsepe KwaZulu-Natal Log 2017/2018 - Diski Zone".
- "ABC Motsepe KwaZulu-Natal Log". Diski Zone. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
- "ABC Motsepe KwaZulu-Natal Log". Diski Zone. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
- "ABC Motsepe Northern Cape Stream A Log 2015/2016".
- "ABC Motsepe Northern Cape Stream B Log 2015/2016 - Diski Zone".
- "ABC Motsepe Northern Cape Stream A Log 2016/2017 - Diski Zone".
- "ABC Motsepe Northern Cape Stream B Log 2016/2017 - Diski Zone".
- "ABC Motsepe Northern Cape Stream A Log 2017/2018".
- "ABC Motsepe Northern Cape Stream B Log 2017/2018 - Diski Zone".
- "ABC Motsepe Northern Cape Stream A Log". Diski Zone. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
- "ABC Motsepe Northern Cape Stream B Log". Diski Zone. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
- "ABC Motsepe Western Cape Log 2016/2017 - Diski Zone".
- "ABC Motsepe Western Cape Log 2017/2018 - Diski Zone".
- "ABC Motsepe Western Cape Log". Diski Zone. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
- "ABC Motsepe Western Cape Log". Diski Zone. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
- "ABC Motsepe Free State Log 2017/2018".
- "ABC Motsepe Free State Log 20189/2019".
- "ABC Motsepe Free State Log 2019/2020".
- "ABC Motsepe Gauteng Log 2015/2016".
- "ABC Motsepe Gauteng Log 2016/2017".
- "Vodacom League Gauteng Log 2012/2013".
- https://diskizone.com/table/abc-motsepe-league-limpopo-2016017/
- "ABC Motsepe Limpopo Log 2017/2018".
- "ABC Motsepe Limpopo Log 2018/2019".
- "ABC Motsepe Mpumalanga Log 2016/2017".
- "ABC Motsepe Mpumalanga Log 2017/2018".
- "ABC Motsepe Mpumalanga Log 2018/2019".
- "ABC Motsepe North West Log 2015/2016".
- "ABC Motsepe North West Log 2016/2017".
- "ABC Motsepe North West Log 2017/2018".
- "Uthongathi are the 2017 ABC Motsepe League National Play Off Champions". June 11, 2017.
- "Maccabi crowned ABC Motsepe League champions". June 9, 2018.
- "PSL alumni brighten 2020 ABC Motsepe League Play-Offs". SAFA.net. 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-12-03.