Kruger United are a South African
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
club that plays in the
National First Division
The South African Championship, officially known as the Motsepe Foundation Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest league of South African football after the South African Premiership. Both the South African Championship and ...
. They are based in
Bushbuckridge
Bushbuckridge (also known as Mapulaneng) is the main town in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, Ehlanzeni District Municipality, Ehlanzeni District, Mpumalanga, South Africa. It grew around a trading store that opened in 1884, and is named after t ...
,
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga () is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Nguni languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It shares bor ...
.
History
Kruger United were formed in 2023, after purchasing the
SAFA Second Division
The SAFA Second Division (known as the ABC Motsepe League for sponsorship reasons, and previously the Vodacom League between 1998 and 2012, was founded in 1998 as the overall third tier of South African association football, football. The compet ...
status of Caroline FC.
In their first season, they won the Mpumalanga stream in the
2023–24 SAFA Second Division
The 2023–24 SAFA Second Division (known as the ABC Motsepe League for sponsorship reasons) was the 26th season of the SAFA Second Division, the third tier for South African association football clubs, since its establishment in 1998. Due to the ...
, qualifying for the playoffs, where they reached the final, earning promotion to the
2024–25 National First Division
The 2024–25 National First Division (called the Motsepe Foundation Championship for sponsorship reasons) ws the season from 23 August 2024 to May 2025 of South Africa's second tier of professional soccer, the National First Division, Motsepe Fou ...
. They were defeated 2-0 by
Highbury
Highbury is an area of North London, England, in the London Borough of Islington.
Highbury Manor
Highbury was once owned by Ranulf, brother of Ilger, and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads.
The manor hou ...
in the final.
Kruger appointed Vusi Mkhatshwa as head coach in February 2024. Mkhatshwa earned promotion with Kruger, the second time he had done so with a side from Mpumalanga, following
Mbombela United's promotion in
2014–15. He retired at the end of the season.
The club finished fifth in its first season in the
National First Division
The South African Championship, officially known as the Motsepe Foundation Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest league of South African football after the South African Premiership. Both the South African Championship and ...
, but experienced financial difficulties, with delays in paying player's salaries.
Honours
*
SAFA Second Division
The SAFA Second Division (known as the ABC Motsepe League for sponsorship reasons, and previously the Vodacom League between 1998 and 2012, was founded in 1998 as the overall third tier of South African association football, football. The compet ...
Mpumalanga Stream winners:
2023–24
Players
League record
SAFA Second Division
The SAFA Second Division (known as the ABC Motsepe League for sponsorship reasons, and previously the Vodacom League between 1998 and 2012, was founded in 1998 as the overall third tier of South African association football, football. The compet ...
Mpumalanga Stream
*
2023–24 – 1st
National First Division
The South African Championship, officially known as the Motsepe Foundation Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest league of South African football after the South African Premiership. Both the South African Championship and ...
*
2024–25 – 5th
References
Soccer clubs in Mpumalanga
National First Division clubs
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