Teams from Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Rustenburg and Ottosdal were amongst those who gathered in Potchefstroom on May 24 for the Furture Stars Academy (FSA) Spidercars tournament, an event that brought together 48 teams and about 700 players across five age groups.
Hosted at Technical High School Potchefstroom, the tournament featured 125 matches played between 09:00 and 16:30. Lockey Monau, one of the organisers from FSA, said the event aimed to foster football development in areas where sports are less important.
“This tournament was inspired by our love and passion for football. As players and fans from Potchefstroom, where the sport isn’t as prominent as in Gauteng or the Western Cape, we’re driven to develop local talent and create opportunities for young players.”
Teams competed in age groups from U9 to U17. The champions were Free State Starz Wild Lions (U9), MS All Stars (U11 and U13), Free State Starz Wild Lions (U15), and Silver Angels (U17). Clinton Botha, Free State Starz Wild Lions coach, touched on the journey from Bloemfontein to Potchefstroom, saying, “We heard about the Spidercars tournament through a message from Justino Lucas (one of the organisers) and we decided to be part of it.” The team was crowned the U9 champions without losing a single game and remains undefeated this year. Botha praised them for how much they’ve grown and bonded as a team, saying that they’ve even matured to the point where they no longer cry when being subbed off.
Daniel Makgale, Silver Angels Academy coach, guided his team to the U17 crown and shared his thoughts on his team’s performances throughout the day. “I was a bit disappointed because we couldn’t keep up or adapt and missed too many chances, that’s what hurt us the most. Even though we won, I would’ve preferred to see every chance turned into a goal. Our transitions were solid, the wingers stuck to the game plan, and I was impressed with how the strikers timed their runs.”
Makgale believes his team can make it to the Premier Soccer League. He’s confident in their talent and wants them to play at a higher level.
Even though the road may be tough, the goal is to keep working hard and improve.
