By Nomfundo Mbatha
One of Makhanda’s oldest football clubs, Eleven Attackers FC, is demanding the payment of prize money owed to them by tournament organizer Luyanda Papu and his company the Marketing and Events Firm following last year’s Soccer SuperBowl Easter tournament.
The tournament, held in 2024, promised R50 000 for the winners and R15 000 for the runners-up. Eleven Attackers reached the final against Maru FC, eventually finishing as runners-up. While Maru FC reportedly received their R50 000 prize, Eleven Attackers say they are still waiting for their R15 000 payment more than a year later.
Club chairperson Andile Poswa expressed deep frustration, saying, “We have been writing email after email since June last year, and up to today we have not been paid. As a community club, we run this team from our own pockets. We need this money for affiliation fees, transport, and to keep our young players off the streets.”
According to Poswa, the club has sent more than 20 emails to Papu but each time they were met with new excuses. Most recently, they were told that the company was undergoing a SARS audit, further delaying the process.
“He promised to pay in May, then July, then again, this July 2025. Now he says SARS is the problem. Meanwhile, our club continues to suffer. We can’t keep explaining to our players and the community why promises are broken,” Poswa said.
The non-payment has placed a heavy burden on Eleven Attackers, who have had to dig into their personal resources to keep the team competing in the Betway Regional League.
Papu told Grocott’s Mail that delays were due to a wider financial dispute with partners and administrative challenges. “We were involved in an extended dispute with our partners concerning the release of second payments. The delay affected our second payment cycle, whereas Maru FC had already benefited from the initial payment and was therefore unaffected.
“We experienced significant delays in our operations, including lengthy waits for invoices, and opted to adopt a cautious approach rather than risk compromising our relationships. We had substantial outstanding payments due from our previous partners, and Mr Poswa possesses a comprehensive record of our correspondence.”
