Grannies thrill crowd as soccer tournament crowns champions in Vosloorus
Senior women played entertaining football in Vosloorus when five teams clashed in a tournament that ended with a dominant win.
The Nkara Khegu FC thrashed the Vosloo Wellness FC 5-1 in the final at the Vosloorus Stadium after five teams of senior women clashed in the Top 5 Grannies’ Soccer Tournament on September 13.
The Vosloo Wellness FC, in partnership with other organisations, played host.
The crowd remained intrigued when the elderly women played entertaining football, proving that age is just a number.
The final began with the visiting Limpopo side, the Nkara Khegu FC, kicking off and immediately putting pressure on the Vosloo Wellness FC.
Nkara Khegu’s strong play paid off when captain Calfonia Masida finished a slick passing move to beat the Vosloo goalkeeper, making it 1-0.
Masida later tried a long-range shot that went over the crossbar, but as the first half progressed, both teams fought hard in midfield. Vosloo created several clear chances but failed to equalise.
Nkara Khegu punished the hosts with another well-built attack when Masida struck again for her brace, giving the visitors a 2-0 lead before the half-time whistle.
Vosloo came out strong after the break, but still could not score. Instead, Nkara Khegu’s striker, Thandazile Zitha, added a third before Vosloo scored a consolation goal for a 3-1 score. Zitha then struck twice more, completing her hat-trick and sealing a 5-1 victory for the Limpopo side.
Coach Nduna Malobana of Nkara Khegu said he was overwhelmed with excitement.
“Winning the tournament boosts my players’ confidence going forward. We practised hard because we didn’t know what to expect from the teams. What makes me happy is that our hard work paid off. From here, we go back to training to prepare for upcoming tournaments.”
Results from earlier matches:
• Vosloo Wellness FC beat Thembisa Gogos FC 3-0;
• Nkara Khegu FC beat Batsofe Batsofe FC 2-0;
• Kuyenzeka FC beat Thembisa Gogos 1-0;
• Nkara Khegu FC beat Kuyenzeka FC 2-0;
• Vosloo Wellness FC drew with Kuyenzeka FC 1-1.
Vosloo Wellness FC player Diana Mphela (62) said her club hosted the tournament because they are trying to raise funds for their seniors’ club.
“We are also trying to keep ourselves healthy and fit as elderly people. We have participated in the grannies’ tournament in Limpopo before, and this time around, we decided to host the tournament and invite the elderly soccer clubs from Limpopo.
“The soccer tournaments allow the elderly people to enjoy exercising and be healthy. Our tournament today was successful, and we hope to host tournaments of this magnitude in the future,” said Mphela.
The MMC of Community Services, Bridget Thusi, who graced the tournament, said they are celebrating the seniors through the event.
“There are teams as far as Limpopo that came to play in the tournament, which is a milestone, and in this tournament, grannies keep fit and enjoy themselves.
“Such initiatives touch my heart, and that’s why I became part of this one. The CoE didn’t have the budget for this initiative, but I sourced fruits and water for this tournament to support the elderly,” Thusi shared.
