Loyo Stars U15 claim Maimane Alfred Phiri trophy at 3 Square
Coach Siphosethu Mbhamali celebrates a double milestone after leading his side to tournament victory in his debut season.
Loyo Stars FC’s U15 side lifted the Maimane Alfred Phiri Games trophy after beating Royal Tigers 2-1 in the final at the 3 Square Sports Ground on October 10.
Coach Siphosethu Mbhamali revealed that the triumph is a double milestone: it is the club’s first U15 cup, and it came in his first season in charge.
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“It was a long journey. Since the start, we were working hard,” he said.
Mbhamali said the team had put in a remarkable performance throughout the tournament, and he believes the victory sets a new standard for the club’s younger division.
He added that he emphasised from day one that the desired outcome would come if the players worked together as a team.
The road to the final was not an easy one. Loyo Stars opened against Western Boys in a tight contest in which neither side could break the 0-0 deadlock. The match went to a penalty shootout, which Loyo won 5-3.
They followed that with a statement performance against Silver Hawks, winning 3-0.
The next fixture tested their resolve. Happy Fighters held them to a 1-1 draw, and once again Loyo needed penalties. They held their nerve to win 5-3 and advance to the semi-finals.
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There, the team showed what they were made of, beating Winter Rose 3-1 to book their place in the final.
In the decider, Royal Tigers pushed them all the way. Loyo Stars did enough to clinch the 2-1 victory, but Mbhamali admitted they let one in that they could have avoided.
“We are happy because we were working hard all the time. We fought, and even now, we did not want to concede but we did because of our mistakes,” he said.
The challenge now is to maintain the standard, both in future competitions and in the league.
Mbhamali said he continues to encourage his players to play hard and reminds them that he believes in them, and that they should believe in the club so that they can chart a way forward as a team.
The same message was passed on to the club’s U13 side, who lost in the semi-finals.
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