They beat Giyani Classic 3-1 on penalties, despite initially seeming poised for defeat. During the first half, Giyani Classic put up an impressive performance scoring a lead in just a few minutes of the game. However, they left their backline undefended which cost them a goal that spoiled everything for them. The match later ended in a draw which led to penalties which they lost to Happy Fighters after missing two penalty shots.

According to municipal spokesperson, Steve Mavunda, the loss will not bring down the curtain on their sports careers as they are still young with many opportunities ahead of them. “Three years from now, you will see many of them playing in the Mayor’s Cup tournament. “This is exactly the aim of this tournament, to unearth talent at a young age and nurture it to a level where they would be able to make use of it when they are adults,” he said.

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Mavunda emphasised that the tournament was part of the municipality’s effort to develop sports at a lower level and ensure that they stay out of negative environments where they are exposed to drugs and other substances. Happy Fighters’ coach, Ntsako Chauke, expressed satisfaction with his players’ turnaround, stating that he eagerly anticipates them winning the Mayor’s Cup in a few years.

“The way these boys performed today, I can tell you that in a few years’ time, you will see them take the tournament,” he said. Chauke added that his boys had been training with older players in preparation for the tournament. “I wanted to prepare them for scenarios where they meet boys bigger than them and build their confidence so that they would not get stage fright when facing other teams during the tournament.

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“It worked because they were able to bounce back after their poor start in the first half,” he said. Meanwhile, Giyani Classic was initially eliminated from the tournament last week after losing to ADS on penalties. They protested the outcome, leading to a replay which they won. Given their superior performance on Saturday, everyone was betting on them to win the tournament, but they ended up losing on penalties again.

Other sports codes that participated in the GGM sports development tournament included rugby, cricket, netball, and boxing. According to Mavunda, the winners of each sporting code will receive sports kits and medals, which will be handed out during the Mayor’s Cup tournament starting next week.