The annual Selati Cup, Nkomazi’s premier soccer tournament, is all set to kick off on March 21. This annual soccer tournament is sponsored by RCL Foods and has been at the centre of the development of the beautiful game in Nkomazi for the past 15 years.

A brainchild of this sugar-producing giant and endorsed by the South African Football Association’s regional structures, the Selati Cup was started way before the country hosted the Soccer World Cup in 2010, and has since its inception seen a number of notable youngsters from this subregion signing lucrative contracts with Premier Soccer League teams.

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The local organising committee’s secretary, Kenneth Phiri, said they are ready for the 16th instalment of the Selati Cup and they are currently in the final stages of preparations. Phiri said this year’s tournament will be better in terms of security, hawkers and discipline among all the participating teams.

“We will make sure the hawkers selling food are registered with the municipality. This is so that we can make sure the food is up to standard.”

In mid-2024, the tourney was put on hold after unsavoury scenes unfolded during the semi-final clash between Langeloop Blue Crane and Lugedlane Wanderers.

The game had to go to penalties and that’s when the problems started. Some soccer supporters threw objects and bottles onto the pitch. The match was stopped as the authorities felt it was no longer safe for the players and other spectators. Phiri said this year things will be different.

He said out of the 264 teams in Nkomazi, only 65 will participate.

“There are 199 teams who did not make it and we urge them to keep playing in the league and work hard so they can qualify for next year. The 65 teams who will be playing in the tournament qualified last year in June. Only the top four teams from the local tourneys made it into the Selati Cup.”

Phiri said these teams will be playing for the cup, while also getting the opportunity to be noticed by scouts. He said the aim of this tournament is to make sure the players who started at grassroots level can also get an opportunity to be seen.

“There are scouts for teams like the Pirates and Sundowns who come out during our games. When a player gets scouted, they could get a contract to play professionally. We want them to be seen out there and get opportunities. Think of players such as Enocent Mkhabela, he got a contract and now he plays for Highlands Park.”