The final clashes await in exciting Lumveleni Cup

The semi-final and final matches of the Lumveleni Spring Soccer Tournament will be played at the Ngudza Grounds on Saturday.

The first semi-final will be between Thohoyandou Manchester Flying Stars and Mulodi Freedom Birds and is scheduled to start at 09:00. Flying Stars will easily clip the Freedom Birds’ wings if their performance in their game against Tshakhuma Blue Birds in their quarter-final game is anything to go by. Blue Birds were crushed 0-2.

Freedom Birds’ road to the semis was rocky and thorny. They forced a 7-6 victory over Musasenda Big Five in their quarter-final game at the same venue last Sunday. The winner was determined through a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw at the end of regulation time. Flying Stars must keep an eye on Anzani Phalanndwa and Victor Mahore or else they will not know what has eaten them at the end of the game. On the other hand, Vuwani Masakona and Hulani Mphephu are expected to cause havoc in the Freedom Birds midfield.

Ngwenani Young Chiefs will take on Sambandou United Professionals in the second semi-final match, which is scheduled to start at 11:00. The match is expected to be a final before the actual final when taking into consideration the fact that United Professionals and Young Chiefs are the hot favourites to lift the trophy.

Young Chiefs had risen to the occasion and beaten Madridtas FC 2-1 in their quarter-final match, while United Professionals had surprised Univen FC, whom they had beaten 1-2.

The winners in the semi-final matches will meet in the final later in the afternoon. The champions will be presented with R15,000, gold medals and a floating trophy. The runners-up will take home R8,000 and silver medals, while teams booted out in the semi-final round will each receive R4,000. Teams knocked out in the quarter-final round will each be consoled with R2,000.

Date:22 August 2024

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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