Richards Bay eye top four finish after bold transfer unveiling

Richards Bay FC have declared their ambition to break into the Betway Premiership’s top four in the 2025/26 season, with club chairman Sifiso “Jomo” Biyela confident their recent reinforcements will elevate the team.

The Natal Rich Boys enjoyed a historic 2024/25 campaign, finishing eighth in the league — their highest-ever placing — and securing qualification for the prestigious MTN8 competition for the first time since their promotion to the top flight.

Biyela, speaking at the club’s official player unveiling event in the Richards Bay CBD on Tuesday afternoon, revealed that a few missed opportunities from the previous season have strengthened his belief that a top-four finish is possible.

“If you look at games where we dropped points last season, especially matches we should have won, we could have easily finished in the top four,” he said. 

The unveiling featured 11 new signings — a blend of seasoned professionals and promising talent — with marquee additions such as former Orlando Pirates striker Gabadinho Mhango, ex-Golden Arrows midfielder Sandile Zuke, and playmaker Lindokuhle Mtshali headlining the event.

Several academy graduates were also promoted to the first team as the club continues to invest in long-term development alongside its ambitions of competing with the league’s best.

Head coach Ronnie Gabriel, who will continue to co-lead the side alongside Papi Zothwane, emphasised that while the faces may be new, the team’s identity and philosophy remain unchanged.

“I think it will be a continuation of last season,” Gabriel said. “We are still in the phase of adaptation and progression, so that process has to take place.”

The coach stressed that the club’s tactical blueprint and player development philosophy would not be compromised despite the influx of new names.

“In terms of training methods and how we prepare this group, it will remain exactly the same,” he added.

“For us, it’s about progressive development and giving the players the right tools to compete at the highest level.”

Richards Bay’s performance last season was built on defensive solidity and team cohesion. Now, with added depth and firepower up front, the club is quietly confident about turning narrow draws into wins and climbing further up the table.

With experienced campaigners like Mhango and Zuke adding leadership, and a tactical team that has now settled into the top-flight rhythm, Richards Bay’s ambitions for the new season are no longer about survival — they’re about real contention.

The club kicks off its 2025/26 campaign in early August and will be hoping their revamped squad gels quickly. If they do, Biyela’s vision of top-four status could be more than just bold talk.