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It is fourth time lucky for Questas FC as they gained promotion to the ABC Motsepe League, the second-tier league in the country.
The club was promoted alongside African Warriors from Qwaqwa. Both teams won their crucial matches at the SAB League u.21 provincial promotion play-offs in Zastron on Saturday (18/05).
Questas first finished as the runner-up after losing 4 – 5 to the overall winner, Warriors. The match was decided via penalties after the two teams were gridlocked after regulation time.
The two promoted teams beat Buffalo and Bethulie to gain promotion to the semi-professional league.
Questas overcame Buffalo by 1 – 0 while Warriors beat Bethulie by 3 – 0.
In the match for third position, Bethulie beat Buffalo by 1 – 0.
The four clubs, Bethulie (Xhariep), Buffalo (Fezile Dabi), Warriors (Thabo Mofutsanyana) and Questas (Mangaung) will each get R13 500 as the winners in their respective regions.
Warriors and Questas are a step closer to the National First Division (NFD), the second-highest professional league in South Africa after the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
The journey for promotion to the second-tier division has been somehow elusive for Questas after falling short the past three seasons.
The club’s success meant they made up for their failure the past seasons during which Kingston, the University of the Free State’s Kovsie side, and Glen College FC gained promotion to the semi-professional league.
Triumphant Questas will be the fifth team from Bloemfontein to compete in the ABC Motsepe League, joining Bloemfontein Young Tigers, Bloemfontein Celtic, the Central University of Technology and Kovsies.
Led by coach-owner Pogisho “Questy” Sinakgomo, Questas beat Kingston, Lazio and Mathaithai to claim one of the two available spots in the ABC Motsepe League.
The Sinakgomo lads finished on 70 points and he is buoyant that his team achieved the ultimate prize – promotion to the ABC Motsepe League. The competition is administered by the South African Football Association (Safa), the federation governing football in the country.
Questas finished on top, ahead of Botshabelo-based Lazio, who finished on 68 points and will get R9 000 in prize money.
Another team from Botshabelo, Mathaithai, finished on 65 points and will receive R7 000 in prize money for obtaining third position.
Kingston from Bloemfontein ended on 61 points and will receive R6 000 in cash for finishing fourth in the SAB League u.21 competition.
Prize monies are offered to only eight of the 16 clubs finishing in the top-eight of the league. The other four teams guaranteed prizes in the SAB League of the Mangaung region are Turfflowers (R4 750, fifth position), Young Santos (R4 500, sixth position), Bloemfontein Celtic (R4 250, seven position) and Future Stars (R 4000, eighth position).
The other eight teams that finished in the bottom half go home empty-handed. Of the bottom eight clubs, two are relegated to the lowest division of the Safa Promotion League, which marks the start of the journey for teams to compete in the professional league in the country.
The two clubs demoted to the lowest rank are City Sharkers and Young Lions.
However, Lions are likely to remain in the SAB League pending on the outcome of Mangaung Unite at the national promotion play-offs.
This is scheduled to take place in Cape Town from 1 to 9 June.
If Mangaung attain promotion, Lions will retain their status in the SAB League.
