The Football Foundation of SA’s annual Foundation Cup took place this past Saturday at the Gansbaai Communal Sports Centre. Hundreds of participants took part in the tournament, which featured football (U11, U13, U15), hockey (U13 Boys & U13 Girls), netball (U13 & U15) and Cross Country.  Teams  throughout  the Western Cape traveled to Gansbaai – coming from Hermanus, Hawston, Cape Town and other areas in the Overberg region. Despite the wet and stormy conditions, it was an excellent day filled with great competition for all of the teams who took part. In addition to the Foundation Cup, the Overberg Cross Country Championship was also held at the field in conjunction with the FFSA athletics race.

Beginning with football, there were three age categories that participated. In the U11 age group, five teams competed: FFSA  Gansbaai,  Holy Cross  from Cape Town, Young Tigers from Stanford, Young Early Birds from Gansbaai and Peacemakers from Hermanus. In the final match, Holy Cross defeated Peacemakers by a score of 3 to 2.

In the U13 age group, six teams competed: FFSA Gansbaai, FFSA Zwelihle, Stars of Tomorrow from Hermanus, Young Early Birds from Gansbaai, Hawston Primary and Peacemakers from Hermanus. In the championship match, Stars of Tomorrow defeated FFSA Zwelihle by a score of 3 to 0.

Finally, in the U15 age group, eight teams competed: FFSA Zwelihle, FFSA Gansbaai, Lukhanyo Primary from Hermanus, Peacemakers from Hermanus, EG Academy from Mount Pleasant, Stars of Tomorrow from Hermanus, Hawston Primary and Young Tigers from Stanford. In the final match, Stars of Tomorrow defeated Peacemakers by a score of 1 to 0.

In the netball competition, there were two age groups that competed. In the U13 division, four teams participated in the tournament: FFSA from Stanford and Gansbaai, Lukhanyo from Hermanus, Qhayiyah Secondary from Hermanus and Gansbaai Primary. FFSA defeated Qhayiyah by a score of 14-11 to win the cup. In the U15 division, three teams competed: FFSA from Stanford and Gansbaai, Lukhanyo Primary from Hermanus and Qhayiyah Secondary from Hermanus. In the final match, FFSA defeated Qhayiyah Secondary by a score of 10 to 5.

For the hockey portion of the Foundation Cup, there were tournaments for both U13 boys and U13 girls. In the boys’ tournament, four teams competed: FFSA Gansbaai, Holy Cross from Cape Town, Blompark from Gansbaai and Hawston Primary. In the championship match, Holy Cross defeated the FFSA Gansbaai team by a score of 2-0. On the girls side of the bracket, five teams competed: Milnerton Primary from Cape Town, Hawston Primary, Mount Pleasant Primary, Holy Cross from Cape Town and Lukhanyo Primary from Hermanus. In one of the most exciting matches of the tournament, Holy Cross beat Milnerton in penalty shootout by a score of 1 to 0. An U11 boys team from FFSA Gansbaai was the only to enter into the tournament, so they played the U13 Lukhanyo Primary girls team and beat them by a score of 2 to 0.

In the final competition of the Cup, the cross-country contest was held as a joint race between the Foundation Cup and the Overberg Cross Country Championship. A 2km loop was created around the Gansbaai Communal Sports Centre. Races were held for various age groups and races varied in distance from 2km to 12km, depending upon the age group that was racing. The results were recorded and kept by Overberg Cross Country. We commend the runners for doing so well despite the strong winds and rain that fell throughout the day.

Overall, it was a great day to celebrate all of the local talent that the area possesses, and the Football Foundation was very pleased to see such an outstanding turnout. Congratulations to all of the teams that won their division!

Joseph Stider

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