WATCH | Mitchells Plain Youth Cup reignites Lentegeur Sports Field after seven-year hiatus

• After a seven-year hiatus, the Mitchells Plain Youth Cup returned to Lentegeur Sports Field, bringing excitement and local soccer back to life.
• Sixteen teams competed for R15,000 in cash prizes, with Rockafellas emerging victorious over Milano United in the cup final.
• The event was spearheaded by Ward 76 Councillor Avron Plaatjies.

After a seven year hiatus, the energy of a roaring crowd returned to the Lentegeur Sports Field with the inaugural Mitchells Plain Youth Cup at the weekend.

With 16 teams battling it out for the R15 000 in cash among other prizes, premium soccer talent was on display over two days on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October.

The event culminated in Rockafellas walking away with the cup after beating Milano United, who also receive R5 000 as the runners up.

In the plate section, Stanturf beat Ikapa Sporting to win R2 000. But, thanks to their discipline and performance, Ikapa also took team of the tournament which added a R9 000 kit and ball prize to their R1 000 runners-up cheque.

Commitment fulfilled

Tournament director and Ward 76 councillor Avron Plaatjies says the tournament in the fulfilment of a three-year commitment made.

“It is something to see sports back after seven years at Lentegeur. We have taken hold of this facility and the community is buying in. That’s the best thing that could have happened. This is months and months of culmination, actually, three years of work since I came in as a councillor. I have had one mission, to come and bring sports back to Lentegeur,” says Plaatjies.

ALSO READ | Mitchells Plain Youth Cup Kicks Off with U-18 Teams Competing for inaugural cup

Mayco member for community services and health, Patricia van der Ross says the tournament was a great success and is proud of the efforts made in bringing the sport back to the facility.

Brennen Theunissen of Rock-a-Fellas FC (Green) tries to escape a dangerous tackle by Mathew Baily of Lentergeur FC during the Cup quarter finals. The host team Lentegeur bowed out of the winner section with a 2-0 defeat. PHOTO: Rashied Isaacs

Wade Smith the goalkeeper of Bayhill United loses the ball in a challenge with Raeez Van Wyk of Milano United. Milano won 3-1 in the cup quarterfinals. PHOTO: Rashied Isaacs

Stanturf FC after their plate section win. The team takes home R2000 for their efforts. PHOTOS: Samantha Lee-Jacobs

SAFA Cape Town’s Ian Pakoe with coach of the tournament – Milano’s Christopher Isaacs and Lentegeur FC Chair Johan van Wyk.

Remando Wilschut of Rockafellas during the cup final.

Ikapa Sporting, runners-up in the plate section also won the Team of the Tournament which comes with a new kit and ball to the value of R9000

Ward 43 councillor and subcouncil chairperson Elton Jansen, MPLFA chair Gilbert Kruger, Lentegeur Football Club chair Johan Van Wyk, ward 76 councillor and tournament director Avron Plaatjies and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

Milano United captain (in blue) Zhandray Hodson goes fends off Abdul Morris and Wagiet Jamie of Rockafellas during the cup final.

Velasco Moos of Rockafellas wins a challenge against Milano’s Yamkela Mzana and Elzaine Rass.

She continues that they will support ongoing efforts to keep hosting the tournament.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis was a special guest and handed over the final prizes on Sunday.

“The amount of work that goes into a brand new tournament like this is massive,” says Hill-Lewis.

“He has done all the work. And I’m so grateful to (Avron). I’m very proud of him, and I think the community can be proud of him as well.”

READ | After years of silence, Lentegeur Sports Ground is coming alive again with the Mitchells Plain Youth Cup

Hill-Lewis continues that sport is important at this vulnerable age.

“Healthy competition is a very good thing for young kids’ lives so that they can work out their energy in something that’s constructive, something that’s healthy, something that gets them feeling competitive but in a good and positive way. And so, these tournaments are very, very important,” he says.

Support for the cause

With Watergate sponsoring the title prize, centre manager Fuzlin Sinclair says with soccer being an important part of the Mitchells Plain culture, they knew they needed to get involved.

“What better way to give back to the community than through a sport that is so strong in this community,” she says. “We were so excited to be part of it and just to see the success of this event we are definitely excited for an annual event to happen.”

Abongile Dzai, Albany’s Brand manager says their involvement in the tournament speaks to one of their priorities.

“One of our key strategies is going back to our communities and uplifting the youth through sporting and also through other CSI initiatives,” says Dzai. “We have a very youthful country and, essentially, we need to play our role and how do we capacitate the masses of our country. And we know very well that is the youth. If you grab them at a grassroots level, you have more chances of actually equipping them to become professionals and superstars within the communities and also within the sporting fraternity.”

Reviving the fields

While the fields were not ideal, it is in the process of complete rehabilitation. Plaatjies says they could not wait until the fields were perfect to get going.

“There is some great talent happening right here. That is the talent that rests here and it is our job to come around and build a platform to catapult them into success,” he says.

READ | WATCH | Mitchells Plain Youth Cup kicks off

Johan van Wyk, chair of the Lentegeur Football Club and deputy tournament director says it was overwhelming to see sport return to the facility in a big way.

“For us as the Lentegeur community and obviously the Greater Mitchells Plain and the surrounding areas, it’s a privilege for us to be back at the Lentegeur Sports Grounds after many, many years,” he says. “I grew up on this field. There are many, many stars that were born on this field. And, it was hard work to get here. And I can honestly say we are a very, very proud community. The Lentegeur community as a whole, the Lentegeur Football Club as the host of the tournament and we expect greater in the future.”

Sponsors and supporters of the event are Watergate Centre, Kwena Group Holdings, Liberty Promenade Mall, MTN, Peninsula Beverages, Albany, Comtel, Elements Garden and Winelands Productions. The tournament is also supported by SAFA Cape Town, the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Government. Lentegeur Football Club is the 2024 football partner.

TygerBurger is the official Print Media partner.