Nozulu Youth Legacy, in partnership with Mnquma Local Football Association (Mnquma LFA), recently hosted the third edition of the annual U/17 Nozulu Youth Legacy Cup which started on Friday, March 21, and ended on Sunday March 23.
The aim of the event is to contribute to the development of football in Mnquma and surrounding areas and also give young players an opportunity to showcase their talent in front of scouts.
Sixteen football teams are expected to compete against each other during this three-day tournament, which will be hosted at Walter Sisulu University at Ibika campus sports grounds near Butterworth town.
Among the teams that qualified to be part of the event, eleven clubs are from Mnquma LFA, and five teams will be coming from outside the Mnquma area, including one team from Mpumalanga province.
The tournament is expected to be played as a point system at the opening stage, followed by a knockout round for the eight teams that qualify for the quarter-finals.
Founder of Nozulu Youth Legacy Cup, Lux Matikinca, who also works for Betway Premiership side, Sekhukhune FC, told Mthatha Express that they will group the sixteen teams into four groups, and the two teams that finish in first and second place in each group will proceed to the next round of the competition.
“We are ready to host our annual U/17 Nozulu Youth Legacy Cup again, and I can confirm that sixteen teams from places like Mnquma, Mthatha, Mdantsane, and Mpumalanga will be battling against each other during the event,” said Matikinca.
He said the event is expected to be more interesting as football supporters will be watching to see whether Young Stars United FC, from Mchubakazi in Mnquma, will be able to defend their title or if Centre of Excellence FC, from East London, will correct the mistakes they made last year when they lost against the defending champions.
Another interesting aspect of the event is that, since its establishment, no team from outside Mnquma has managed to win this competition.
The first edition was won by FC Tshabalala from Butterworth, and the following year, Young Stars United FC Mchubakazi won the cup.
However, in all previous finals, Mnquma teams faced teams from East London, so this time it remains to be seen who will win this prestigious event.
The event usually has scouts who select a squad to represent the Nozulu Youth Legacy Cup, giving them the opportunity to travel across South Africa to play friendly games, including tournaments against well-known academies.
By doing this, the Nozulu Youth Legacy Cup provides young players with an opportunity to showcase their talent to Betway Premiership teams.
The first games of the event are expected to start at 09:00, and the draw for groups will be conducted on Wednesday at theButterworth town hall.
