Moroka Swallows FC
Full nameMoroka Swallows Football Club
Nickname(s)The Dube Birds, Amaswaiswai, The Beautiful Birds
Founded1947 (1947)
GroundVolkswagen Dobsonville Stadium, Soweto,
Johannesburg
Capacity24,000
ChairmanDavid Mogashoa
ManagerSteve Komphela
LeagueDStv Premiership
2022–23DStv Premiership, 8th
WebsiteClub website

Moroka Swallows Football Club (often referred to as Swallows or The Birds) is a South African professional football club based in Soweto, Johannesburg, in the Gauteng province.

Founded in 1947, Swallows are one of the original two Soweto clubs, together with Orlando Pirates, thus contest what is known as the Original Soweto Derby.[1]

Until relegation in the 2014–15 season, the club had played every season of the Premier Soccer League.[2]

They won the 2019–20 National First Division and competed in the 2020–21 South African Premier Division, they finished 6th in what was their first season back in top-flight football league system and qualified for 2021 MTN 8 competition. They play their home matches at Dobsonville Stadium.

History

The club was founded in the 1940s by a trio of football lovers, Ishmael Lesolang, Strike Makgatha, and Johnny Kubheka.[3]

They originally named the side Congregated Rovers after the firm in which most of the players and officials worked, later changing it to Moroka Rovers.[4]

But then, on 10 October 1947, the trio decided to change the name again to Moroka Swallows, basing themselves in the township formally known as Masakeng.[5]

The name has lasted for the best part of 55 years, a period which has seen consistent success both on the field and off it.[6]

The name 'moroka' means 'rain maker' in Setswana and the township was probably named after Chief Moroka of Barolong boo-Seleka who became the president of the African National Congress in 1940s. It is hardly surprising therefore that the club was renamed the 'rain bird'.

The 1950s and 1960s were a successful time for the club, culminating in their greatest ever achievement, winning the South African League title in 1965.[7]

Off the field, the club was becoming a business and in 1971 they became the first ever football team to register as a public company.

That same year they were also the first to receive an official sponsorship when Teljoy began their association with the club. [8] The decade between 1982 and 1992 was a successful one for the team, culminating in four pieces of silverware.[9]

In 2007, the club celebrated its 60th anniversary. Two years later Swallows won the Nedbank Cup, the club's first piece of silverware for five years.[10]

The club narrowly avoided relegation in the 2013–14 season, finishing thirteenth. The 2014–15 season saw them relegated for the first time in their history, finishing 15th, and failing to retain their position after being defeated in the promotion-relegation playoffs.[11]

Following their first relegation from the top level, the club finished bottom of the log in the National First Division, and were relegated again to the SAFA Second Division, subsequently being liquidated.[12]

Prior to the start of the 2018–19 season, Swallows purchased the franchise of National First Division team Maccabi for R8 million, and competed in the 2019–20 National First Division under the name Swallows F.C.[12]

At the end 2019–20 National First Division season, the club gained promotion to the Premier Soccer League following a 3–0 win against third-placed Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila F.C., then competed in the 2020–21 South African Premier Division.

After being officially named Swallows F.C. in the aftermath of their bankruptcy and a FIFA ban, they renamed themselves to Moroka Swallows F.C. prior to the start of the 2023–24 season.[12]

The club experienced financial difficulties during the 2023–24 season, with the club failing to honour their final two fixtures of 2023. This was blamed in part due to the PSL blocking Swallow's sponsorship by Telkom, claiming that it was in competition with MTN, sponsors of their MTN 8 competition.[13]

Honours

Club records

Source:[14]

League positions

South African Premier Division

National First Division

SAFA Second Division (Gauteng)

National First Division

South African Premier Division

First team squad

Updated 13 August, 2022

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF South Africa RSA Sipho Sibiya
3 FW South Africa RSA Waseem Isaacs
4 DF South Africa RSA Keegan Allan
5 DF South Africa RSA Wandisile Letlabika
6 MF South Africa RSA Tlakusani Mthethwa
7 MF South Africa RSA Lindokuhle Mtshali
9 FW South Africa RSA Siboniso Mtshali
10 MF South Africa RSA Mokeri Senwamadi
14 MF South Africa RSA Given Thibedi
15 MF South Africa RSA Andile Jali
16 FW South Africa RSA Moeketsi Makhanya
17 GK South Africa RSA Thela Ngobeni
18 DF South Africa RSA Gregory Damons
20 FW Zambia ZAM Mwape Musonda
24 FW South Africa RSA Naeem Amoojee
25 FW South Africa RSA Tshediso Patjie
No. Pos. Nation Player
26 FW South Africa RSA Kagiso Malinga
28 DF South Africa RSA Yagan Sasman
30 GK Namibia NAM Virgil Vries
31 GK South Africa RSA Thakasani Mbanjwa
32 DF South Africa RSA Nicholus Lukhubeni
33 DF South Africa RSA Givemore Khupe
34 DF South Africa RSA Junaid Sait
35 MF South Africa RSA Keletso Makgalwa
41 FW Lesotho LES Tumelo Khutlang
43 DF South Africa RSA Pentjie Zulu
44 DF South Africa RSA Kwanda Mngonyama
45 MF South Africa RSA Mphakamiseni Nene
47 MF South Africa RSA Mbulelo Wambi
50 GK South Africa RSA Sanele Tshabalala
— FW South Africa RSA Lebohang Lesako (on loan from Kaizer Chiefs)
— MF South Africa RSA Darrel Matsheke (on loan from Kaizer Chiefs)

Notable players

  • South Africa Brad Norman (2019): He converted into the first South African to play in Paraguay following his stint with Moroka Swallows.

Notable former coaches

References

  1. ↑ "Bucs, Birds clash to revive original Soweto derby spark". SowetanLIVE. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  2. ↑ PSL Club Info Archived 16 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ "Moroka Swallows Football Club – Succession". Moroka Swallows Football Club. 23 March 2010. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "The history of Moroka Swallows Football Club". Moroka Swallows Football Club. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "PART 2: THE FIRST DECADE (1947-1957)". Moroka Swallows Online. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "THE SECOND DECADE (1957-1967)". Moroka Swallows Online. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  7. ↑ "MOROKA SWALLOWS BIG XV 1968-1978". Moroka Swallows Online. Archived from the original on 6 June 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  8. ↑ "PART 5: THE FOURTH DECADE (1979-1988)". Moroka Swallows Online. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  9. ↑ "PART 6: THE FIFTH DECADE (1989-1998)". Moroka Swallows Online. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  10. ↑ "PART 7: THE SIXTH DECADE (1999-2008)". Moroka Swallows Online. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  11. ↑ "Moroka Swallows' relegation a historic one in South Africa". ESPN FC. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 "Moroka Swallows finally get their iconic name back". ESPN FC. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  13. ↑ Ngidi, Njabulo. "Njabulo Ngidi | PSL created the situation that led to Moroka Swallows not honouring their fixtures". Sport. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "Moroka Swallows". Kickoff.com. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  15. ↑ "Moroka Swallows Have Appointed Craig Rosslee As Head Coach". soccerladuma.co.za. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
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