Westrand Ballers set the tone for 2022 season with triumph in pre-season tournament
Roodepoort Sports Academy equally pleased after just missing out
Counting the weeks until the formal leagues get underway, Westrand Ballers Football Academy (WBFA) and Roodepoort Sports Academy (RSA) hosted a pre-season tournament on March 19.
Featuring eight teams from as far as Orange Farm and Kempton Park, the tournament aimed to give teams as much playing time to fine-tune their squads. Split into two groups of four, the top two finishers in the group would duke it out for the spots in the final.
In Group A, Junior Mwale’s Ballers would top their group with three wins. WBFA would score 11 goals in their three clean sheet victories against Nathi Stars, Gladiators and Conquerors FC, respectively. Nathi Stars would be the best of the remaining three teams thanks to a thrilling 4–3 win in an end-to-end tussle with Gladiators.
Playing on their own patch, RSA topped Group B, closely followed by Sporting. Both recorded big wins against Bramfischer FC with RSA getting a win over VT United, a team Sporting could only draw with. VT United added to Bramfischer FC’s misery, setting up a tense final group game, but RSA and Sporting played out a goalless draw to give Sporting the decisive point that would send them to the semis.
Through either superior stamina or the familiarity of the venue, the group winners blew their opponents out of the semifinal waters. WBFA hammered Sporting 7–1 while RSA were equally dominant against Nathi Stars, winning 6–1. In a day that had seen 76 goals, an average of more than five per game, the final was scoreless. Penalties would decide the winner, with Westrand Ballers winning the spot-kick lottery 7–6.
Both finalists will be competing in the Rand Central Local Football Association (RCLFA) leagues set to start in April. WBFA is a new iteration of Head Coach Junior Mwale’s ambitions and he is hoping this sets a tone for the season ahead.
“The tournament went very well and everyone is just eager to get going,” said Junior. Eager to test his players, he added, “I’m not placing too much pressure on them but I know they can handle it. I’m excited to see what they can do.”
