After weeks of frustration and suspense for local soccer fans the Sakhulutsha Soccer Development Project's pre-season tournament final took place on Sunday. City Pirates went on to beat Eleven Attackers by single goal in the dramatic and highly spirited encounter on Fiddlers Green.
After weeks of frustration and suspense for local soccer fans the Sakhulutsha Soccer Development Project's pre-season tournament final took place on Sunday. City Pirates went on to beat Eleven Attackers by single goal in the dramatic and highly spirited encounter on Fiddlers Green.
The final was originally scheduled to take place on 13 October but was postponed due to a misunderstanding between Sakhulutsha and the Makana Local Football Association (LFA) about when the field was booked. The final was postponed twice more on the following weekends because of rain and waterlogged fields.
But this weekend the weather played along and the highly anticipated match could take place.
Attackers created more opportunities to get at the goals in the first half, but Pirates were the ones able to see their attempts through when it counted.
The first goal came late in the first half when Pirates were rearing to go in the Attackers' box area. A Pirates player fell to the ground and, after consulting with his linesman, the referee awarded a penalty to Pirates. It appears that an Attackers player had pushed the Pirates player.
But the Attackers team erupted angrily and contested the referee's decision. After a few minutes of this the ref walked off the field, handed his red and yellow cards to the tournament organiser and refused to go on.
Before long the Attackers captain conceded to accept the ref's decision and asked him to continue, handing back the cards. So the game resumed, the penalty was taken and Pirates had a 1-0 lead by half-time.
The second half saw Pirates score another goal while the Attackers' defence was caught napping.
A bad tackle from a Pirates player in their box saw the ref award a penalty to Attackers who then took the opportunity to make their first mark on the score board. This brought the score to 2-1 to Pirates, which is how the game ended.
For winning the tournament, Pirates received a full set of soccer boots sponsored by tournament organisers Sakhulutsha.
Project leader Siyabonga Masinda said he wished all the players had been able to show winning attitudes during the game however, referring to players challenging the ref's decisions.
Whether the ref is wrong or right, his decision is final, Masinda said. “Even at an international, national and local level [the ref]is the only one who can make a mistake and get away with it, that's the nature of football.”
Explaining why the tournament was held, Masinda said it was intended to show coaches of the 16 participating teams how their new players fared in action before the 2012/2013 league kicks off. He said it was also an opportunity for players to have some game time.
Meanwhile the LFA league fixtures are also dragging their feet because, according to Makana LFA president Ayanda Kota, they want to hold their annual general meeting before the league begins.
Kota told italGrocott's Mail/ital that the LFA committee is currently putting together a financial statement to be sent to all clubs before the AGM. Once the clubs have had a chance to go through the financial statement the AGM can take place and the 2012/2013 league will start, he said.
The league had been scheduled to start at the beginning of September.
