After six months of non-stop action we have reached the pinnacle of the 2013 KIA Street Soccer programme. Five provinces were involved as 6000 participants were awarded the opportunity to be a part of this three phase experience.
This weekend the five very proud KSS provincial champion teams, namely, New Brighton (Eastern Cape), Mitchell’s Plain (Western Cape), Allanridge (Free State), Marianhill (KZN) and Katlehong (Gauteng) travelled to Johannesburg to do battle for the national KSS title.
The team’s itinerary included many first time experiences including flying or driving from their home towns to Johannesburg; staying in the plush Town Lodge Sandton hotel; being kitted out in Mille gear; enjoying delicious food from McDonalds and partaking in team-building activities organized by the City of Joburg that encouraged interaction with their fellow competitors.
Finals Day began early on Saturday with teams making their way to the well branded venue in Moloto Street in Dobsonville, Soweto. We were blessed to have pleasant weather and vibrant spectators who provided an ideal platform for the exploits on the pitch.
The magnitude of the KIA Street Soccer programme was emphasized by the presence of eager residents and media personnel who took a very keen interest in the initiative. As the round robin matches got underway, officials from the sponsors also arrived, adding to the electric atmosphere.
After an afternoon of intense and tightly contested matches it was New Brighton from the Eastern Cape and Marianhill from KZN that emerged top of the pool and proceeded to the final. It was a magic phase of play that saw New Brighton score ahead of halftime and the victory was later sealed with a ‘Tshabala style’ strike minutes before full time. With a 2-0 score line New Brighton from the Eastern Cape claimed the 2013 KA Street Soccer national title.
An amazing day was concluded with a fitting prize giving that honoured the respective winners. The top goal scorer; best girl and best boy of the tournament all received a pair of new shoes which were proudly handed over by Justine Cullinan, Marketing Director of Mille. The noise decibels then went an octave higher, when David Sieff, Marketing Director of KIA SA, handed over the KSS National Champions trophy to the Captain of the New Brighton team.
We as Sporting Chance would like to thank the sponsors who have infused their brands into our KSS programme that continues to show the legacy of 2010 and makes a difference to thousands of lives… Title sponsor – KIA Motors SA; Technical sponsor – Mille; Logistical partner – Dawn Wing; Regional sponsor – Kruger Bets CSI; Media partners – Super Sport Let’s Play, Good Hope fm and Ukhozi fm; PSL partners – Ajax Cape Town and Amazulu; and Product sponsors – Bokomo and McDonald’s. Our gratitude is also extended to Town Lodge, for accommodating the Sporting Chance team and the eager participants at their various hotels throughout the programme. Thank you for being a part of our 2013 KSS journey!
