Easter tourney a big success
Mogan Segadavan
DESPITE the downpour over the Easter weekend the 40th annual Northern Areas FA (Nafa) Easter soccer tournament was another resounding success.
Unfortunately the success was not shared by the local teams, with the visitors taking home the bulk of the R30000 in prize money.
Local teams lost in the semifinals.
In the finals played at the Gelvandale Stadium on Easter Monday, FC Orient from Hanover Park in Cape Town beat neighbours Orient FC 1-0 in extra time.
Watched by a handful of diehards both teams battled on the heavy field on which eight finals were played during the course of the day.
The winners pocketed R15000 and the runners-up R6000.
Several matches including two of the three senior finals, a quarter-final and two junior finals ended in nerve-racking penalty shoot-outs.
In the quarter-final match between Bloom Callies and Park United, 14 penalties were taken by each team before Callies went through 7-6.
In the semifinals played earlier, Orient FC beat Glenville 1-0 while FC Orient beat Bloom Callies 2-1. In the plate section final, losing semifinalists Bloom Callies and Glenville played to a goalless draw before Callies won 5-4 on penalties to claim the R3500 in prize money. Glenville won R2500.
In the bronze section semifinal Park United edged out Blackpool 6-5 in a thrilling sudden death penalty shootout after the teams were tied at 1-1.
In the second semifinal Crystal Palace beat PE Warriors 2-0.
In the final Crystal Palace beat Park United 3-0 to win R2500. For their troubles Park United won R1500.
Nafa Easter Tournament final results:
Juniors:
u-9 Celtic 1 Bloom Callies 0
u-11 Hotspurs 3 Ebenezer 0
u-13 Saints 3 (1) Glenville 2 (1)
u-15 Hotspurs 4 Stardrift 1
u-17 Windvogel All Stars (1) 5 Ebenezer 4 (1)
Seniors:
Bronze: Crystal Palace 3 Park United 0
Plate section: Bloom Callies 5 (0) Glenville 4 (0)
Championship: FC Orient 1 Orient FC 0