Soccer teams in Grahamstown got the chance to sharpen their soccer skills and prepare themselves for the upcoming soccer season.
Soccer teams in Grahamstown got the chance to sharpen their soccer skills and prepare themselves for the upcoming soccer season.
Over 16 teams took part in the Misile ‘Christmas’ Ntlanjeni soccer tournament which took place at JD Dlepu Stadium over the weekend, and continued yesterday.
Chris Totobela, who is the vice-chairman of the Makana Local Football Association (LFA) as well as the league co-ordinator and pre-season soccer tournament organiser, said: “With this tournament we [the LFA]will be able to see how many teams are ready for the upcoming season”.
The soccer tournament was named after Misile Ntlanjeni, known to many as Christmas, who has been involved with Joza Callies since 1983, first as a player from 1983 to 1999 and as a team player since then.
Ntlanjeni said he was “happy to have the tournament named after me”.Totobela said the tournament was named after Ntlanjeni as he is “the only one who has kept in touch with football in a positive way since he stopped playing,” adding that he is often seen supporting the various leagues and local soccer tournaments.
Teams which took part in the pre-season soccer tournament represented the LFA Metropolitan and development leagues, as well as the SAB Cacadu football league.
Totobela said the LFA committee will be meeting soon to decide when the 2009/10 soccer season will kick off in the Makana region.
The pre-season soccer tournament saw knockout matches taking place on Saturday and Sunday, with the quarterfinals and semifinals and finals taking place yesterday.
While the soccer tournament fell on Women’s Day, Totobela said it was difficult organising a Women’s Day soccer tournament, as there is only one women’s soccer side in Grahamstown.
