Sports broadcaster SuperSport International has officially confirmed the sale of its Premier Soccer League PSL club, SuperSport United, to Siwelele Football Club Pty Ltd.
Rumours of the sale have been doing the rounds on social media, including a now-confirmed report by media personality Robert Marawa published on Wednesday 2 July.
Initially, reports suggested that the club would be renamed Celtic United . This has now changed, possibly because of potential trademark issues with the Bloemfontein Celtic brand.
SuperSport United sold to Siwelele FCFollowing a closed bidding process, Siwelele FC was awarded the rights to purchase the three-time Premiership winners, pending approval by the PSL Executive Committee, SuperSport International said in a statement on Thursday.
CEO Rendani Ramovha said the clubs sale comes as SuperSport makes strategic shifts to allow us to remain the biggest broadcaster in Africa and a leading global competitor.
Shifts in the market, as well as the need to innovate in accordance with our core business, have necessitated focused direction to allow SuperSport to remain the best sports content provider on the continent and a leader in broadcast innovation, he added.
Siwelele FCs chairman is Calvin Le John. Earlier on Thursday, Sunday World reported that he is a close family member of Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie .
As Siwelele FC, we are privileged to have been given the responsibility of continuing with a rich winning tradition in the PSL, John said.
SuperSport and the MultiChoice Group laid an incredible 30-year platform that we wish to build upon, should we get the final vote of approval from the PSL Executive Committee.
The three entities said they would not make further statements on the sale out of respect for the PSL Executive Committees processes, pending the PSLs final decision.