Baduzah Celtics secure 50% stake in Gomora United ahead of new season

Baduzah Celtics have completed the purchase of a 50% stake in Motsepe Foundation Championship club Gomora United, marking a new route into professional football for the Limpopo-based ABC Motsepe League side.

The club is expected to be renamed Gomora Baduzah FC, although the proposed name change still requires approval from the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Sources have indicated that the transaction has been concluded, with the name-change application the only outstanding matter in the deal. The agreement gives Baduzah an entry into the professional ranks after their planned takeover of fellow Motsepe Foundation Championship side Upington City collapsed at the final stages.

Baduzah had been negotiating to acquire Upington City’s status, but the proposed transaction fell through after the parties failed to agree on minor details late in the process.

The failed deal has reportedly led to a legal dispute between Upington City’s management and the Baduzah hierarchy. The Limpopo club was understood to have already paid a deposit towards the purchase of Upington City’s status before the agreement broke down.

After that proposed takeover could not be completed, Baduzah redirected their efforts towards Gomora United. The purchase of half of the club now provides the ABC Motsepe League outfit with a fresh opportunity to establish itself in professional football.

The new owners are also planning to relocate the team to Phalaborwa. That move would require approval from the PSL, including confirmation that an appropriate stadium is available in the town.

Giyani Stadium is another venue being considered as a possible home ground.

For the time being, however, Gomora Baduzah FC are scheduled to play their home fixtures at Malamulele Stadium. The venue was listed for the club in the Motsepe Foundation Championship fixtures released by the PSL.

The proposed partnership represents the latest step in Baduzah Celtics’ attempts to move up from the ABC Motsepe League. Their first route into the professional game was expected to come through Upington City, but the failure to finalise that deal left the club seeking an alternative arrangement.

That alternative has now been found through Gomora United, with Baduzah taking a 50% shareholding and preparing for a new identity subject to the PSL’s approval.

The change would see the club continue in the Motsepe Foundation Championship under the Gomora Baduzah FC name, while the owners work towards their longer-term plans for a move to Phalaborwa. Until any relocation is authorised, Malamulele Stadium remains the designated home venue, according to the official league schedule.