The University of Johannesburg (UJ) Senior Men’s Football Team demonstrated significant progress in the 2024/25 season, securing a commendable top 8 finish in the Gauteng ABC Motsepe League in May 2025. This achievement builds upon their triumph in reclaiming the annual University Sport South Africa (USSA) championship held at Sol Plaatje University in Kimberley during December 2024.
Throughout the 34-match league campaign, UJ recorded 13 victories, 9 draws, and 12 losses, scoring 35 goals and conceding 26, ultimately amassing 48 points to finish seventh on the log – a notable five-place improvement from their 11th position in 2024.
Adding to the club’s success, Head Coach Karabo Mogudi brought pride to the university community by guiding the South Africa Under-20 Men’s National Team, as Assistant Coach, to qualification for the upcoming FIFA U/20 World Cup in Chile (September/October 2025). This came after the team’s impressive journey to the final of the U/20 AFCON in Egypt, where they defeated Nigeria 1-0 in the semifinal at the Suez Canal Stadium and Morocco 1-0 in the to be crowned champions.
Furthermore, UJ Football Club’s Goalkeeper Coach and Physiotherapist, Lucky Shiburi and Nhlanhla Ndlovu, also qualified with Bafana Bafana for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN), a tournament featuring domestic league players set to take place in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in August.
Individual accolades within the league included UJ striker Siphosihle Nkambule topping the Goal Scorers chart with nine goals. Goalkeeper Lungelo Sithole, stepping in after Richard Banga Lona’s injury, also made the Top 10 of Goalkeepers’ Clean Sheets, ranking sixth with an impressive 10 clean sheets in just 13 matches.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Assistant Coach Ntsikelelo Showa stated, “This team has done wonders. Lungelo’s 10 clean sheets in 13 games is a big achievement. Moving from 11th to 7th, we believe we can challenge for the top 3 in the future or even win the league.”
Showa also praised Coach Mogudi’s national team success, noting, “Coach Karabo’s achievements with the SA U/20 team reaching the AFCON final speaks volumes about the quality of coaching at UJ. This national exposure also presents opportunities to attract talented players to UJ, which boasts excellent sports infrastructure. We’ve also seen players like Puleng Bapela join Orlando Pirates’ DDC team, another at Orbit, and others being scouted by PSL teams. With 90% of our players being Under-23, the future looks promising.” Showa oversaw the team’s last league matches while Mogudi was on national duty.
This year, the UJ Senior Men’s Football team returns to the Varsity Football tournament in August, after a one-year break in 2024.
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