Casric Stars renamed Real Native FC to better reflect Ndebele identity

Casric Stars will begin the new season under the name Real Native FC after club management concluded that its previous name did not sufficiently connect with the Ndebele community, according to Soccer Laduma.

The Mpumalanga-based club is expected to use the new identity in the coming campaign, with a source at the club explaining that the change followed internal discussions about how the team was represented.

“The management felt that the name Casric Stars did not resonate with the Ndebele tribe,” said our informant. “That’s what we’ve been told here at the club.”

The name Casric was created by combining the first names of the club’s co-founders, Caswell Mkansi and the late Eric Mathebula. It had been used since 2017, when the club changed its name from FC Palmeiras.

According to information published on the club’s website, the team was founded in 2012 as FC Palmeiras. It initially competed in the North West stream of the ABC Motsepe League, where it established itself during the early years of its existence.

Five years after its foundation, the club adopted the name Casric Stars. That identity remained in place until the recent switch to Real Native FC.

The change also appears to have moved through the necessary administrative process. Draft fixtures for the Motsepe Foundation Championship list the club as Real Native, suggesting that the Premier Soccer League (PSL) has approved the new name.

Despite the rebranding, the club’s home venue will remain unchanged. Real Native FC will continue to play its home matches at Solomon Mahlangu Stadium in KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga.

The club has not yet made a formal public announcement explaining the decision. When approached for comment, officials said an announcement would be made in due course.

For now, the name Real Native FC has appeared in the competition’s draft schedule, providing the clearest indication yet that the team will enter the new season with a new identity while retaining its existing location and home stadium.