Teams to meet in Total Cup quarters

The quarterfinals of the Total Cup for teams playing under the auspices of Safa Vhembe will take place at the Makwarela Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.

In the first match on Saturday, Phandulavulo and Obert Ministry Fighters will meet at 13:00.  At 15:00, Ngwenani Manchester and Beuster Young Chiefs will clash. Sunday's matches are Mikhado FC vs Muswodi Happy Fighters (13:00) and Mpheni Home Defenders will play against Junior Aces at 15:00.

The winners of the competition will receive R20 000, a floating trophy, soccer kit and gold medals, while the second-placed team will receive R10 000, a soccer kit and silver medals. The team that finishes in the third position will receive R7 000 and the fourth-placed team will receive R5 000. The teams that finish from position five to eight will pocket R3 500 each and the team finishing in the ninth position will get R1 500.

Mr Itani Musandiwa, managing director of Mikhado FC, told Limpopo Mirror that they had learnt from their previous errors and would have a different approach in the quarterfinals: “Our last match we lost due to a lack of concentration. The boys have to master the art of concentration and focus. I have therefore prepared them mentally not to make simple mistakes.”

Mr Sadie Phuravhathu, coach of Mpheni Home Defenders, expressed his joy with the team's performance. He added that their preparations were well under way “and my boys are looking forward to this challenge,” he added. “These young players have the energy and the hunger for success. Coaching these boys has brought nothing but joy to my heart as I have seen how they have grown in confidence each year,” he said.

Mr Marcus Mukumela of Ngwenani Young Chiefs, the defending champions, said that the competition was about pride and honour. “This is the third consecutive year that we have made it to the quarterfinals and it is a statistic we are proud of. We want to keep the tradition going. We want to repeat our success in the tournament,” he added.

Mukumela is well aware of what the regional standard is all about and admits that it is a different ball game, compared to the provincials. “The competition is tighter and the standards are extremely high. There are scouts from the clubs there, which adds more pressure on our players."

Mr Tshilidzi Mbedzi, manager of Makuya Junior Aces, said the team had received tremendous support from the team officials and  community. “Just getting to the regional finals has made a difference to the boys in terms of confidence and motivation,” he added. He said they were happy with the way the team was gelling. "The boys are doing their best and I’m impressed with their performance."

Mr Maele Nemahunguwi, coach of Beuster Young Chiefs, said their aim was to use the tournament as their stepping stone to win the league at the end of the soccer season. “We promised the fans and all the residents that we want to bring home some silverware.”

Date:10 February 2017

By: Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

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