Royal AM expelled from South Africa's Betway Premiership

Photo Credit: Royal AM

South Africa’s elite league governing body has reportedly resolved to expel Royal AM from the flagship Betway Premiership over worsening financial problems which has seen curators handling the Durban-based club’s affairs.

South African online publication now report that the Premier Soccer League (PSL) Board of Governors (BOG) has overwhelmingly voted to throw out Royal AM from the elite league, a development that will have ramifications on the relegation and promotion race.

Now the last placed team in 15th position will qualify for the promotion/relegation playoff with the 2nd and 3rd place sides from the second tier Motsepe Foundation Championship. No Betway Premiership team will be directly relegated due to the new circumstances.

The BOG arrived at the decision, according to FARPost, during its meeting held on Thursday at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. FARPost is also headquartered in Sandton.

Royal AM were put under curatorship after the South African Revenue Service took the club’s owner Shawn Mkhize to task over outstanding taxes:

“The executive committee has resolved to recommend the cancellation of the membership of Royal to the Board of Governors (BoG) of the league in accordance with article 10.16 and/or 10.14 and or 14.6 of the NSL constitution,” reads circular dated 2 April 2025 as quoted by FARPost.

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 the regulations say

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) is the current 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 the John Maduka-coached side such as TS 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) and Magesi FC (0-0) will each lose points.