By Chris Totobela
The 2023/24 SAB regional league kicked off with the Nedbank cup elimination round. The four local sides clashed on Saturday, 14 October. The overall winner then had to travel to Alicedale on Sunday for a date with Friendly City.
In the first game City Pirates beat newly promoted Young Eagles by two unanswered goals while Jacaranda Aces defeated Maru by three goals to one. In the afternoon decider City Pirates edged Jacaranda Aces by three goals to two.
On Sunday, City Pirates travelled to Alicedale where they were beaten by Friendly City by a single goal. Responding to football fans outcry about City Pirates having to play two games then travel to play a third away game against a side that was playing its first game of the competition on the day, secretary for the South African Football Association (SAFA) in the Sarah Baartman region, Bongani Jibiliza said, “This is the criteria that is used that the teams from the same area play each other until they are left with one. Either way Friendly City would still play one game only irrespective of the venue”. Friendly city will now have to travel to Kouga Municipality to face other winners of different municipalities.
Jibiliza also touched on the issue of the non-existence of women’s football in the region which is a disgrace especially seeing the interest shown by young girls in football after Banyana Banyana’s performance in the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup Tournament which was jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Jibiliza told Grocott’s Mail that the executive for the region is busy working towards the revival of women’s football in the area.
