Given Thibedi Foundation hosts top 16 juniors’ championship
The final match was a tough game between Mooihoek All Stars and Mhluzi Aces, ending in a 3–2 victory for Mooihoek.
The Given Thibedi Foundation successfully hosted the Top 16 Mpumalanga Juniors Championship tournament at Puma Rugby Stadium in eMalahleni.
The tournament was hosted on June 20, and it brought together 16 junior teams from across the City of Coal for a day of competitive football and talent development.
Coordinated by Thomas Choma and Jan Mahlangu, the event was a remarkable success.
The final match was a tough game between Mooihoek All Stars and Mhluzi Aces, ending in a 3–2 victory for Mooihoek.
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The star of the game was Makofane Kopano Tshireletxo, popularly known as Spikiri, who scored a brilliant hat-trick.
Mhluzi Aces’ Tebogo ‘Dax’ Mkhombe fought back with two goals, but Mooihoek held on to claim the championship title.
The aim of the tournament was to bring football ‘ekasi’, giving young players from the townships a platform to showcase their talent and passion for the game.
Reflecting on the success of the tournament, Given Thibedi, a professional soccer player currently representing Orbit College in the PSL, expressed his excitement at the level of talent displayed.
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He confirmed that “more talents are in cooking” as the juniors delivered beyond what he was expecting.
To keep them engaged, Thibedi often trains with the young players himself, showing them that it is possible to reach professional levels of the game.
“I always remind them that with God, anything is possible. They just have to remain focused as they already have the talents, and they just have to polish them.” Thibedi added.
He further confirmed that they plan to make it an annual thing and that they should also host girls’ soccer.
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