Festive football record overwhelming attendances

Koketso Kgoboge | Thursday January 12, 2017 15:54

A member of the organising committee for the Shashe Mooke festive tournament, Mompoloki Stambole said the tournament was successful and has grown all round.

“It was tough in terms of competition,” he said. “Teams were beefed up with a number of the top league players and we have noticed unexpected number of supporters at our games from the first day to the final. People really turned up.”

“We are a self sponsored tournament and we can confidently say the tournament has successfully grown as the number one source of entertainment in our village.”

Stambole United won the P33,000 worth Shashe Mooke tournament with a solitary goal in the final against three times champions, Celtics.

The champions pocketed P8,000 while Celtics received P6,000, Home Defenders and Tidimane walked away with P5,000 and P4,000 after finishing third and fourth respectively. The other nine teams from fifth to last position got P1,000 each.

In Tutume’s Goledzwa tournament, publicity secretary, Christopher Nyanga praised the people of Tutume for supporting the tournament in large numbers.

“We measure our support with the gate takings and it was the first time in the history of our tournament to reach over 2,000 people in a game especially under the unfavourable weather we faced,” he said.

“We are elated with the support and it is a challenge for us as organisers because year in and year out our supporters will expect nothing less than what we gave them the previous edition,” Nyanga said.

All the teams that participated in the Goledzwa tournament were rewarded handsomely with this edition champions Mangaungau pocketing P16,000, and a playing kit, while runners-ups Bashe Rollers received P12,000.

Third-placed Happy Hearts won P10,000, Gulana United in fourth won P9,400, Madumilano and Kwabangalala in fifth and sixth walked away with P8,600 and P8,000 respectively.

The P100,000 sponsored Master Goya tournament, which is played in six editions in Palapye and surrounding settlements also recorded growth.

Secretary general for the tournament, Molefi Obenne said fans across respective editions have shown appreciation for the tournament and the support was remarkable.

Dinkwana in Palapye, Masuakoloi FC from Masuakoloi, Dikabea FC from Dikabeya, Bobirwa in Sajwe, Lemone FC in Lemone and Makoro FC from Makoro emerged champions in their respective editions.

All the winners of the tournament and the top four teams from Palapye will battle in the P30,000 top eight finals slated for the independence holidays in September.