When the NWU Eagles team from the NWU Soccer Institute arrived in Mthatha for the 2026 ABC Motsepe League National Playoffs, the mission was clear. Four matches stood between the North West champions and a place in professional football.

On Saturday afternoon, that mission became reality.

The NWU defeated KwaZulu-Natal champions Mkhambathi FC 2-1 in a tense semi-final to secure promotion to the Motsepe Foundation Championship and book a place in the national final.

The NWU Eagles from the NWU Soccer Institute secured a place in the semifinals of the 2026 ABC Motsepe League National Playoffs after defeating Gauteng champions La Masia 3–2 in a decisive Group A encounter in Mthatha on Wednesday.

The victory saw the NWU finish level on four points with Mpumalanga champions Luthuli Brigades, but the Eagles progressed to the knockout stage at the top of the group on goal difference.

The North-West University (NWU) Soccer Institute opened its ABC Motsepe League National Playoffs campaign with a goalless draw against Mpumalanga champions Luthuli Brigades at Mthatha Stadium in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday, leaving coach Nkululeko Malgas confident that his side remains on course for promotion.

Coach Nkululenko Malgas guided the North-West University (NWU) Soccer Institute to the ABC Motsepe League national playoffs. He will now take another step in university football after receiving a national appointment to lead the University Sport South Africa (USSA) football team at the 2026 Confederation of Universities and Colleges Sports Association (CUCSA) Games in Gaborone, Botswana, from 28 June to 5 July. Alongside him, Buhle July will join the national setup as the team physiotherapist.

The karate team on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus delivered a thunderous statement of intent ahead of the 2026 University Sport South Africa (USSA) Karate Championships.

They produced a series of commanding performances at the Premier Full Contact Karate League Tournament held at the Mandeville Sports Centre in Bezuidenhout Valley, Gauteng on 9 May 2026.