Football tournament to help the youth in Butterworth!

The coaches of the teams that will play in the Nozulu Youth Tournament which will be held in Butterworth this weekend. Picture: Pedro Mapelo/I’solezwe lesiXhosa

Luxolo Matikinca organised a tournament to benefit Butterworth’s youth. This was revealed during the launch of the Nozulu Youth Tournament on Tuesday of this week during a ceremony held at a hall in Butterworth.

This tournament, organised by Matikinca and Xolelwa Majeke, is intended to give young players (under 16) the chance to excel and advance to a higher level. This tournament, which is expected to set two fields in Msobomvu Township ablaze, will feature 16 teams. Out of the many teams that had started playing the qualifying matches for the tournament that will be held without the backing of the municipality, the Butterworth teams who will compete are those that have qualified.

Four teams each from Ngqamakhwe, Mthatha, and Aliwal North and 12 teams from Butterworth compete. Tomorrow afternoon will see the start of the first games. The teams must eliminate one another the following day so that only four remain for the big game on Sunday, when the Nozulu Tournament’s inaugural champions will be crowned.

“I want to bring up the scheduling of all the competing teams. Making sure things are done properly is one of the reasons we enrol children in sports. We do this because we want to help children reach the pinnacle of their abilities. Building leaders for the future is crucial since our time is drawing to a close.

“The task of organising the tournament has been completed. Now it is up to the coaches and players to take the field and do their jobs,” Matikinca stated. Speakers in Butterworth, including local group leaders, praised the tournament that Matikinca had organised.

The teams can win a variety of prizes. Teams that advance to the next round of the competition will receive new kits, balls, and training supplies. A trophy and medals will be given to the winning team. The most critical part is that 20 players will be chosen for a training camp where they will get the chance to be observed by representatives from the major teams.