New Castle FC from Philippi has become the champions of Rainbow Soccer Tournament 2022 after a narrow win against West London on Sunday 6 February.The final was held at Vuyiseka Sport Complex in Philippi.
New Castle FC won 4-3 in extra time after the game ended in 2 draws. They walk away with a cheque of R11 000, gold medals and the trophy.
New Castle coach Xolani Fisa described the tournament as a stepping stone to the future. He said local footballers need such a tournament to uplift the standard of football in the township. “It wasn’t easy but my boys showed character. They worked hard at training and during the tournament.Our win means a lot to the team and the community at large,” said the coach.
He stated that the money that they won will be shared among the players. He praised the organiser for a stunning tournament.
London coach Zaheer Ceaser from Athlone congratulated New Castle for their win and cited that any team could have won the tournament. “It was a tight game. It could go either way. But we were unfortunate to be on the losing side,” said Ceaser, adding that they missed a lot of chances.
He stated that it was his first time participating in the tournament.
“The standard of the tournament was good. We thank the people who supported us in Philippi and the organisers as well.
Event organiser Zane Mapete expressed his gratitude to all the teams that participated in the tournament. He said their aim is to see it grow and getting more sponsors.
