EVATON.- When the Pooe Festive Tournament kicked off, some of the teams were tipped as strong favourites to walk away with the R150 000 prize money.

However, it was not the case as the tournament delivered major upsets.

All Blacks FC and Ben 10 FC were the biggest disappointments as the two powerhouse teams were eliminated at the group stage, a shocking outcome considering their history of dominance in this festive soccer competition.

In recent years, they have been regular contenders, but this time they were left watching from the stands after finishing third in their respective groups.

All Blacks FC were drawn into a tough Group D alongside Government FC and COVID FC, both regarded as red-hot favourites to win the tournament.

Labelled the “group of death,” it proved too challenging for All Blacks FC. As for Ben 10 FC, they were pitted against Perfect Academy and Swidi Wodwa FC in Group C.

Despite being among the tournament favourites, they also finished third in the group, bringing their campaign to an abrupt and disappointing end.

As the tournament stands, Government FC and COVID FC look assured to be crowned Pooe Festive Tournament champions, excluding any surprises.

This will be a dream final for local soccer fans as they are the most supported teams in the competition and are known as big crowd pullers.

Adding to the list of surprises, Vaal Juventus FC is another big name to bite the dust in the tournament. They play their last game in the group today (see attached), today’s fixtures and the final group log standing.

The annual Pooe Festive Tournament is currently underway at Pooe Ground in Evaton and runs until December 30.