Grassroots football scores big

03 October 2023

October is a busy month for grassroots football in Cape Town with several developmental tournaments taking place this month. The City of Cape Town is sponsoring three of these tournaments taking place over the next two weeks. 

The Rygate Cubs Festival, featuring some 2 000 youth football players, kicked off at the Johnston Road Sports Complex in Athlone today.

The festival is a SAFA Cape Town-sanctioned competition for under six, eight and 10 teams from across the city who will play six-a-side matches from 3 – 7 October 2023. 

In its 12th year, the festival has grown from just 14 participating teams to 160 teams in 2023.

The City, through the Events and the Recreation and Parks departments, is providing support in the form of event services and absorbing the costs for the use of City-owned venues.

This week will also see the return of the Mother City's premier grassroots football festival Kapstadt Cup taking place from Wednesday, 4 October until Sunday, 8 October 2023.

The 12th edition of the event will be held at three venues, including Hartleyvale Stadium, Green Point Park and at St. George's Grammar School in Mowbray.

Featuring 31 clubs with 120 teams in various age groups, the Kapstadt Cup will host 1 778 players over the five-day tournament.

A total of 10 clubs will be travelling from outside the Western Cape to participate in the tournament. 

The Kapstadt Cup will crown champions in the Under-seven to Under-16 age groups on Sunday, 8 October 2023.   

The fixtures list for the tournament is available here. 

'In a country with our level of social and economic challenges, football is one of the best antidotes to poverty and despair. It provides the healthiest possible escape from the poor choices that so often trap our young children, and it teaches them almost every crucial lesson they'll need in life – from the value of teamwork and loyalty, to the importance of respect for the rules and customs of the game,' said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

Coke Cup Finals

On Saturday, 14 October, Athlone Stadium will host the finals of SAFA Cape Town's Coca Cola Cup, which pits together the best teams in the men's, women's and youth groups.

The finals is a culmination of five months of a knockout competition, which featured almost 600 clubs from SAFA-affiliated football association across the Mother City.

The day will see the crowning of champions amateur men's, women's and under-18 competitions.   

Hanover Park-based Diadora FC will be defending the title they won last year against Goulburn Athletic FC in the men's final.

Magic Ladies will go head to head with Dangerous Heroes FC for the women's final.

In the under -8 final, Cape Town Spurs will do battle against Matroosfontein FC.

Entry into Athlone Stadium for the games is free. Gates are expected to open from 12:30 on Saturday, 14 October.

Annually, the City also provides financial, events and/or municipal services sponsorship worth R1,6 million to the following grassroots football tournaments:

• Bayhill Premier Cup
• Kapstadt Cup
• Strandfontein AFC's 'By The Sea' Tournament
• Salt River Blackpool Cape Town Super 7's
• Trinitarians U14 Easter Tournament
• Mitchell's Plain LFA Cubs Tournament
• Bayview FC Tournament
• Rygate Cubs Festival
• SAFA Cape Town Coke Cup Finals
• Mitchell's Plain's Tournament of Dreams
  
  'For the City of Cape Town, investing in developmental sporting events such as the Kapstadt Cup, the Rygate Cubs Festival, among others, is crucial in ensuring we contribute to platforms for nurturing the country's next generation of sports stars and for them to have a stage to develop their talent at an early age. Our involvement in these tournaments is an affirmation of the City's commitment to supporting youth development and ensuring the youth realise their full potential. We wish all the players, coaches and officials well in the tournament. May they bring out the fun and provide lasting memories,' said  the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security Alderman JP Smith.  
  
  Caption 1 and 2: Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis met with some of FC Kapstadt players who will be taking part in the Kapstadt Cup and Tournament Director Zaid Omar.
  
   
  
  Caption 3: File image of the 2022 SAFA Cape Town Coca Cola Cup finalists
  
   
  
   
  
  End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office