By Ntokozo Magongo
MBABANE – This Saturday, six development teams will vie for glory at the Ludzeludze Sports Ground in a highly anticipated tournament.
Generously sponsored to the tune of E50 000 by Sandile Magongo and Sakhile Kunene, the event will feature final matches across the Under-13, Under-15, and Under-17 categories, with victorious teams receiving new football kits.
In addition to the kits, trophies and medals will be awarded, with gold medals for the champions, silver for the runners-up, and bronze for the third-place finishers. The finals will commence with the Under-13 clash between Eagles and Super Stars at 9am, followed by the Under-15 match between Mbekelo and Silver Stars at 10am. The day will culminate with the Under-17 final featuring Ludzeludze Killers against Shhohhweni Heroes at noon.
All participating teams will receive bibs as a token of appreciation for their involvement. Tournament organiser and sponsor Sandile Magongo confirmed the event on Tuesday, marking the conclusion of a two-month-long tournament.
Sakhile Kunene, a proud product of the Ludzeludze community from Boyane uMphakatsi, has collaborated with Magongo to foster grassroots football development through their shared passion for the sport.
“Recognising the scarcity of sponsorship and the potential loss of talent to substance abuse and idleness, we resolved to organise this tournament to engage teenagers, particularly on weekends. We deemed it essential to contribute resources to this initiative.
Currently, we are funding this from our personal earnings, but we appeal to the entire community and the football fraternity to assist us in securing additional financial support. We urge the Ludzeludze community and surrounding areas to come out in large numbers on Saturday to support the three finals matches,” stated Magongo.
The final fixtures:
Ludzeludze Sports Ground:
Under-13 finals:
Eagles vs Super Stars 9am
Under-15 finals:
Mbekelo vs Silver Stars 10am
Under-17 finals:
Killers vs Shhohweni 12pm
