By Chris Totobela
On the weekend of 29 and 30 July, four teams battled it out in the inaugural Nelson Mandela Club Development Tournament. This under-19s tournament was hosted by the Department of Sports, Arts and Recreation (DSRAC) together with Makana LFA at the Rhodes University Prospect Field.
In the first game, Makana Tigers played against Joza Callies in a closely contested encounter. Makana Tigers emerged victorious on a penalty shoot-out after a one-all draw. In the second game, Golden Eagles defeated Makana Spears by two goals to one and progressed to the final. In the cup final Golden Eagles narrowly defeated Makana Tigers in a hard-fought game.
Lubabalo Zuke scored the only goal of the game. Makana Tigers coach Tandisizwe Matebese was happy with the effort of his charges and said, “We fielded 8 under 15s in our team, and the boys gave their all”.
Golden Eagles coach Mziyanda Maqhubela applauded his players and thanked the organisers. “We played well in this tournament, and our boys did well. A big thank you to the organisers for a well-organized tournament. Our team was only formed in 2020 and has achieved beyond our expectations. We are still growing and will appreciate help with kit and training equipment from the corporate sector.”
Maqhubela concluded by telling Grocott’s Mail that his team would carry this form to their league campaign.
