Makuya Tournament is in jeopardy

The annual Makuya Soccer Tournament is likely not to be staged this year as a result of the national lockdown.

The offseason tournament is usually staged during the last weekend of July or the first weekend of August. According to the chairperson of the organizing committee, Mr Neo Mutshauba, for them to stage the tournament if the lockdown compels the Safa Vhembe Regional Association to extend their league programme beyond August will not be possible.

“If the teams will still be engaged in their league activities, we will be forced to call the tournament off as it is the very same teams that will be busy with their league matches who are to take part in the annual event,” said Mtshauba. He said that they had already started with the preparations for the tournament to avoid a situation where they would be caught off guard in case the league activities were completed before the end of July.

Should the tournament be staged this year, it will be the seventh edition. Eight teams affiliated to the Safa Vhembe Regional Association take part in the tournament. Berea FC lifted the trophy last year. They beat Gondeni Big Cat in the final at the Makuya Try Again grounds. Berea FC took home a cash prize of R6 000 and a floating trophy.

The runners-up, Gondeni Big Cat, received a cash prize of R4 000. Teams that took part in the tournament last year are Berea FC, Gondeni Big Cat, Makuya Try Again, Masisi FC, Tshilamusi Super Eagles, Phaphama FC, Matangari High Aims and Anel Real Vikings.

All the previous tournaments were sponsored by a well-known local businessman, Mr Mpho Mathoho, of Mpho Mathoho Electrical.

Date:09 April 2020

By: Frank Mavhungu

Frank is a Human Resources Manager at the Department of Public Works in Limpopo. He is the longest serving correspondent of the Mirror, having joined us at the end of 1990.  He mainly writes sports reports and resides at Tsianda Village. In 2004, Frank won the National Castle League Award, an award for the best reporter in the SAB league in South Africa.

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