The success of the inaugural Home of Legends Cup tournament, held in Nelson Mandela Bay over the weekend, bodes well for the metro and the Eastern Cape to be back at the forefront of sports and true to its name as the Home of Legends.
The event featured four Betway Premier Soccer League teams competing for the locally made Home of Legends trophy. The participating teams at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium were Kaizer Chiefs, Lamontville Golden Arrows, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Chippa United.
The tournament was attended by the Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, MEC for Sports, Recreation, Arts, and Culture, Sibulele Ngongo and Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, among other prominent figures.
Ahead of the event, a statement issued by the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) outlined four major objectives: to establish the Home of Legends Cup brand as a viable and sustainable project for years to come; generate interest in sponsorship; bring the Eastern Cape back to the forefront of sports and entertainment; and offer spectators a memorable experience both on and off the field.
Speaking with Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe, she remarked, “Sports events bring about social cohesion in our society. The goal is to create and attract more sports activities to the city, which will unify our people.”
She added that the Home of Legends tournament was conceived in honour of the fallen heroes and heroines of the Eastern Cape who helped unite the country.
“We anticipate that the event will generate over R20 million to benefit the economy of Nelson Mandela Bay. Judging by the number of people we have brought into the city this week, we hope to exceed the anticipated figure. We see this as the beginning of many more events to come in our city,” said Lobishe.
This optimism was supported by the tournament’s success in selling over 20 000 tickets; a rare achievement for the stadium, and selling out hospitality tickets prior to the event.
A spectator, Gcisa Fekade said that they are happy about how this event will bring more of its kind into the city as well as the economical benefit it will have for the city.
Marketing and Commercial Director of Kaizer Chiefs, Jessica Motaung confidently predicted that her team would win the cup, and her forecast proved accurate.
Kaizer Chiefs’ assistant coach, Cedric Kaze, commented on the team’s preparation, “Although we have been conceding unnecessary goals this season, the team has been focused on strengthening our defence leading up to the tournament.”
He also added that the team will use this win to fuel them going into the rest of the league after working tirelessly the past two weeks working on their organisation in defense.
This was evident in the final match against Mamelodi Sundowns, which ended in a nail-biting goalless draw before going to a penalty shootout. Kaizer Chiefs ultimately secured victory with a 5-4 win on penalties.
According to MBDA spokesperson Luvuyo Bangazi, “The tournament was a huge success. It demonstrated proof of concept and highlighted the potential of combining sporting events with heritage to create an incredible outcome.”
Tournament Fixtures:
- Semi-final 1: Kaizer Chiefs 2-0 Golden Arrows
- Semi-final 2: Mamelodi Sundowns 1-1 Chippa United (Penalties: 5-3)
- Final: Kaizer Chiefs 0-0 Mamelodi Sundowns (Penalties: 5-4)
