Creative kick-around continues at Junxion
DAINFERN – Joburg team Football Flava will represent South Africa in a 5-a-side soccer tournament next month in Brazil.
Nothing would spur on a soccer team quite like the idea of meeting one of Brazil’s favourite sons of the game, Neymar.
Amateur 5-a-side players playing in the Neymar Jr’s Five tournament have this opportunity, as the winners will have the honour of meeting the FC Barcelona star.
The tournament sees amateur players from 52 countries competing with a twist in the rules.
A qualifier was held at The Junxion Center in Dainfern on 20 and 21 May, where four teams competed.
READ: Football Flava off to Russia to represent SA in world finals
Johannesburg-based Football Flava came out on top, beating Pretoria-based Ugasabi 5–1 in the final.
The games were made even more interesting by the unique rule that Neymar himself introduced: when a team scores a goal during a match, the opposing team is forced to take a player off the field for the remainder of the game.
Leon Thistle, who organises 5-a-side soccer games at The Junxion Center, was very happy to see a local team take the win. He believes that 5-a-side soccer is a great social game.
“Most of the guys [who play here in Dainfern] do it because it’s a fantastic way to stay fit,” Thistle explained. “When they play 5-a-side, they really have to run the whole length of the field for the entire match. It’s also a great way to have some fun with mates after work.”
Football Flava has now qualified for the finals of the tournament and will represent South Africa in Sao Paulo, Brazil next month.
Do you play a sport with a twist in the rules? We’d love to hear about it. Email your story to us at fourwaysr@caxton.co.za
