Penalty shootout denies House Party GREST victory
A tense GREST final ended in heartbreak for local side House Party, who fell 5–4 on penalties after a hard-fought match.
A local team once again failed to capitalise on home advantage at the recent Greater Randfontein Easter Soccer Tournament (GREST), held at the Patrick Ace Ntsoelengoe Stadium.
The final saw local outfit House Party take on defending champions Motakase from Soweto in a tightly contested match. After a hard-fought battle through both halves, the game was decided on penalties, where House Party narrowly lost 5–4.
Despite the defeat, House Party’s Obakeng “Lekeke” Hlatswayo delivered a strong performance, working tirelessly both upfront and in midfield. However, his efforts were not enough to prevent the Chiawelo-based side from securing victory.
Motakase walked away with the R120 000 winner’s prize, while the local side had to settle for R60 000 as runners-up.
Also read: Malan leads Riebeeckrand 1st team past rivals in style
Randfontein Local Football Association (LFA) Deputy Chairperson Kedibone Moruledi said the tournament remains valuable but highlighted the need for a stronger development focus.
“It’s pleasing to have this working relationship with the GREST organising committee as the Randfontein Local Football Association. While it is more on entertainment, more is needed to have the tournament as a yardstick for the development of soccer in our community,” said Moruledi.
She added that the inclusion of an U13 curtain raiser featuring LFA teams was encouraging.
“This will serve as motivation to young players, who will cherish the opportunity of having played on such a big stage,” she said.
