Seshego Raiders retained their LSA Super League status after winning their playoffs.
Like phoenix, the mythical bird that reputed burnt itself on the funeral pyre and rose majestically from the ashes, Seshego Raiders resuscitated itself from a complete collapse to evade the dreaded guillotine.
The Limpopo Softball Association Super League (LSA) strugglers narrowly escaped the relegation chop after winning their promotional/relegation playoffs.
Raiders, who, over the season relied heavily on has been star players, has struggled under immense pressure to stay in the provincial top-flight league.
Without any competitive playing personnel, they lacked composure and even lost against minows.
After finishing the 2025 season at the second from the basement, they were forced to fight for their spot in the elite tier to keep their flame ablaze.
In the run-up to the playoffs, management had to abruptly recruit some novelty players from relative obscurity to stage a comeback.
Raiders managed to collect maximum points by clobbering Sekgakgapeng Rockets 17-0 and Diphale Blues 20-4.
Raiders chairman Isaiah “Fox” Raphela has attributed the club’s reinvention to a recruitment drive the club embarked on during the off-season.
“We embarked on a calculated mission to recruit some players to bolster the current squad that was disjointed due to various reasons. It was the worst season in recent years plagued by unforseen circumstances on a weekly basis. However, we were not prepared to see the club losing its status in the elite league, its rich legacy, but in the worst case scenario, ceasing its existence. We had to think hard to resuscitate the club from the abyss of despair, and finding new players was our top priority.
The rationale behind the recruitment drive was to get youngsters who are determined to make a significant contribution to the team. Eventually, we found a few of them, and they are fitting well into the setup.
“When the new season pitches off, the new acquisitions will be expected to play a significant role in our campaign. There will be a generational blen of newcomers and the old guards who have been part of the Raiders family over the years,” says Raphela.
LSA has issued a preliminary fixture for the upcoming 2026 league season but is still waiting for final adoption from its affiliates.
The federation’s Head of Marketing and Publicity, Moyahabo Mabeba, says the league is expected to resume at Ga-Nchabeleng diamonds next month.
He says, “Our tournaments director has drafted a preliminary Super League fixture and sent to affiliates. Super League clubs will have to look into it before adoption. Following the final adoption, we will stage league games over successive Sundays.”