Five-a-side Footy madness

The Footy courts in Townsend Park came alive recently for the local round of the international Neymar jnr5’s tournament.

The Neymar jnr5’s tournament is an international indoor tournament where the rules are a little different: there are only five players on the field and no goal keeper, the goals are smaller than normal and no players are allowed in the goal box.

What makes this format super interesting is for each goal your team concedes you lose a player, meaning some matches saw one lonely footballer trying his level best to go up against five opponents.

Games are 10 minutes long (unless you lose all your players before the time is up).

The Red Bull DJ kept the vibrant crowd bouncing while they enjoyed the soccer skills on display and the perfect weather.

Seven teams entered the round robin event and with each team playing six games in the group stages the cream really did rise to the top.

The top four teams – Barcelona, All Stars, Shakers Spears and Mozambik – battled it out in the semi-finals, with Shakers Spears and Mozambik proving too strong for their semi-final rivals.

In the final, both teams traded goal for goal ensuring the vocal supporters were on their feet from the start of the game to the final whistle.

Congratulations to the mighty Shakers Spears who were crowned tournament champs and have bragging rights till next year’s local tournament comes to town.

The top three teams: Shakers Spears, Mozambik and Barcelona will be representing Footy Ballito in the regional finals to be held on May 26 (Venue TBC). The overall winners of the Neymar jnr5’s tournament will eventually head off to Russia for the world finals.

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