Tournament held to expose talent

Hlalefang FC won the finals of the U/17 category after beating Malatjie FC 2-1 during the Winnie Mandela community games.

The games were held at the Reagile Primary School sports grounds on Saturday last week.

To qualify for the finals, Hlalefang FC defeated January FC 3-0 in the semi-finals.

Malatjie FC won the U/13 finals, while Winnie Mandela High School FC won the U/15 finals.

The games were organised to expose football talent within the Winnie Mandela Informal Settlement.

The tournament kicked off on March 21. The winners took home new kit and gold medals.

According to the organiser of the tournament, Mr Lordwick Motshana, the tournament will be hosted annually to attract talented footballers and scouters to help expose talent in Winnie Mandela.

“We want to contribute significantly to the development of young footballers, athletes, netball players and other sporting codes in the area. The tournament serves as a platform for up-and-coming talented players from disadvantaged families to be scouted by professional clubs, coaches and scouts. We want to discover hidden talent through these games,” he said.

Mr Motshana also started the games after he noticed that some schools and teams are having challenges with sporting equipment.

“I just want to help my community improve in sports. Interested football supporters are more than welcome to join us so that we can grow our community. Sports have a positive effect on those who participate in terms of physical health, life skills and the value of team work,” he said.