Free State Stars F.C.


Free State Stars Football club was a South African professional soccer club based in Bethlehem, Free State that played in the National First Division. Formerly known as Makwane Computer Stars, Fairway Stars and Qwa Qwa Stars, their most significant honour was winning the 1994 Coca-Cola Cup and 2017–18 Nedbank Cup.
The club sold their National First Division status to Casric F.C. at the start of the 2022–23 season. Following the sale of Bloemfontein Celtic the previous year, this left the Free State without any representatives in professional football.

History

Founded in 1977 in a small village of Makwane in an area then known as QwaQwa, the club gained promotion to the National Professional Soccer League in 1986.
The team won the league cup in 1994 with Bunene Ngaduane leading the scoring charts.
To avoid fixture congestion the club's franchise was sold to the Premier Soccer League in 2002.
The following year, Mike Mokoena revived the club as he bought and renamed the franchise of National First Division side Maholosiane. Free State Stars regained their Premiership status in 2005 after winning the Mvela Golden League.
After a disappointing season in the top-flight, with the first team finishing bottom of the table, the club was relegated. The 2006–07 season however proved to be a huge success with Stars dominating the First Division and securing promotion to the Premiership once again.
They also won the inaugural Baymed Cup in December 2006 beating FC AK in the final.

Honours

  • Nedbank Cup:
  • Coca-Cola Cup:
  • Baymed Cup:
  • Mvela Golden League:
  • '''Second Division:'''

    Club records

  • Most appearances: Edward Salomane 299
  • Most goals: Bunene Ngaduane 79
  • Most capped player: Kennedy Mweene
  • Most appearances in a season: Themba Sithole 45
  • Most goals in a season: Bunene Ngaduane 19
  • Record win: 8–1 v Ikapa Sporting
  • Record loss: 1–7 v Arcadia, 1–7 v Mamelodi Sundowns

    League record

Premiership">South African Premiership">Premiership