Golden Arrows

Golden Arrows moved into a new home for the 2025/26 campaign, King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi, a 10,000-seat ground. In the Premier Soccer League table, the club its own fans call Abafana Bes’thende — the Backheel Boys — has never finished higher than fourth, a mark set in 2020/21.

The story goes back to 1943, when a team formed in the Lamontville township and eventually reached the old National Professional Soccer League. It was relegated in 1976 and thrown out of the league altogether in 1980 after a scandal, disappearing from professional football until brothers Rocky and Mato Madlala bought a Second Division franchise, Ntokozo FC, in 1996 and renamed it Lamontville Golden Arrows. Promotion back to the top flight followed in 1999/2000. Rocky Madlala ran the club until his death from cancer in 2007, when his sister Mato took over as owner.

The trophy still talked about is the MTN8 of 2009, won 6-0 against Ajax Cape Town in the final under coach Manqoba Mngqithi. Thanduyise Khuboni captained that side and went on to make a club-record 212 appearances before earning 26 caps for South Africa and a place at the 2010 World Cup.

The Nedbank Cup has eluded them throughout. Semi-final exits in 2017, in 2018/19 — a 3-1 extra-time defeat to TS Galaxy — and again in 2026 have yet to produce a first final appearance.