Betway Premiership: Royal AM mum on court battles

Royal AM coach John Maduka: Photo Credit: Royal AM.

With Royal AM’s expulsion from the Betway Premiership seemingly a matter of formality following South Africa’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) Board of Governors (BOG)’s decision, the Durban-based club has kept mum on the matter.

Royal AM general manager Richard Makhoba refused to comment on the club’s status. He cited the ongoing legal battles between the Shawn Mkhize-owned side and the South African Revenue Services (SARS), which claim she owes the tax body, hence placing the team under curatorship.

“We can’t comment as the matter is before the court,” Makhoba told Pan-Africa Football when contacted on the club’s status.

Recently, South Africa’s elite league governing body reportedly resolved to expel Royal AM from the Betway Premiership over worsening financial problems.

BOG overwhelmingly voted to throw out Royal AM from the elite league during its meeting held on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

The PSL is yet to confirm Royal AM’s expulsion, but the club has not fulfilled the past 12 league games and lie bottom with eight points from 11 games after having last played against TS Galaxy on December 29, 2024.

What NSL regulations say;

PSL is the brand name for what is legally the National Soccer League (NSL) whose regulations handbook of 2023 states clearly what would happen to a club expelled during a season as is the case with Royal AM.

"Should a member club withdraw or be expelled from the league after the start of the season and after the member club concerned has played against every member club in its Division at least once, then all second-round results of that member club will be expunged from the league," NSL rules state under Chapter 1 (5 (5.5).

This means that teams that played against John Maduka-coached sides such as Galaxy (Galaxy won 3-1), Richards Bay (0-0), AmaZulu FC (won 2-1), Kaizer Chiefs (drew 2-2), Polokwane City (won 1-0), SuperSport United (0-0), Mamelodi Sundowns (won 3-1), Magesi FC (0-0), will lose points each.