Mavalani Real Mighty Girls defeated Gawula Ladies 3-1 in a Mayor’s Cup match at Giyani Stadium on Saturday, advancing to the top 8 in the highly contested women’s soccer category. Before halftime, they had already scored twice, and if they had taken advantage of every opportunity they had to score on the goalkeeper, they might have added more.

Even though the Gawula women later scored one goal before halftime, it was not enough to offset the pressure they faced from the defending champions. In the second half, the Real Mighty Girls added a final nail to the coffin by scoring a third goal, dashing all hopes they had of equalising. Speaking after the match, Real Mighty Girls coach Prince Maluleke praised his team’s effort but admitted that they could have performed better if not for a few mistakes they made on the field.

He emphasised that improvement is necessary if they want to successfully defend the tournament title. “We need to improve both in front and at the back. “Our defence wasn’t strong, and we wasted several chances that could have been converted into goals. We were lucky that our opponents also made many mistakes, which helped us score; otherwise, we would have lost the game,” he said.

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Nevertheless, he expressed gratitude for his team’s performance, saying he was thankful that despite all the mistakes, they still managed to score three goals to one. He added that he did not anticipate any significant challenges ahead, as the team that posed the most danger to them was now out. “This was the toughest team in the tournament, so beating them was a huge achievement for us as it cleared our path to the finals.”

“We aim to reach the finals and hopefully lift the trophy again, just like we did last year,” he said. Meanwhile, in the men’s soccer category, Savata FC from Mapuve Village defeated Gon’on’o FC with an impressive 6-1 victory to advance to the top 8 rounds. Reaching the top 8 is crucial for every participant in the tournament, as prizes are awarded from that stage onwards. All the teams that make it to the top 8 are expected to walk away with cash prizes in addition to sports kits that they will receive.