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ZIWAPHI • VOL 4 NO 11 • 21 - 27 May 2010

Jerusalem is a biblical town that is associated with a people that were chosen by God, but the Mpumalanga village that has the same name is far from that. If anything it looks like a God forsaken place, without proper infrastructure, like most barren areas where black people were condemned by the apartheid government when it introduced the Bantustan system.

The ANC branch Secretary, Jabulani Mathabe, known as Kescor in the political scene, invited the ZIWAPHI team to witness a four-team “winner takes all” soccer tournament.

“I grew up playing in this soccer field,” said Maviyo Ndinisa, a medical doctor who is one of Cuba graduated students who participated in the very first programme wherein the South African government sent a team of students to be trained as medical doctors in 1997.

The soccer field looks like anything, but that. There are no markings, one of the goalkeepers took advantage of this shortcoming and took all his kicks outside the designated area.

On two occasions in the course of the game, a herd of cattle passed through a portion of the field without anyone worried about the dangers that this could pose, as everyone’s attention was on the soccer field.

Mighty Bombers football club, one of the finalists, was trailing 1-0 to Final Squad, a team of young and extremely talented players who were wearing unmarked yellow jerseys.

Their goal came through a brilliantly taken goal in the first half, following a defensive blunder, when a Mighty Bombers defender blocked a shot into the path of Final Squad’s striker, Nyupa Lekhuleni, who capitalised on the rebound.

Mighty Bombers were the better team in the second half and on several occasions threatened the Final Squad goalposts but their efforts failed to yield any goals, as the latter had packed their defence and only relying on counter attacks, but it was the first-half solitary goal that decided the outcome of the game.

Final Squad won a R2600 prize and ANC branded keyholders. A far cry from what Bafana-Bafana will be getting during the world cup, but the soccer players were content with their prizes.

The losing team did not receive anything, except a word of thanks and encouragement from the organisers.

A player that impressed was Final Squad’s  Mduduzi Mlimi who was controlling the middle field with brilliant touches and off the ball movement. Football scouts would not regret if they could give the talented youngster a chance.

It came as no surprise when his coach, Alec Chiloane declared him an unofficial “Man of the Match”.

Mighty Bombers’ defender, called Rasta, was also brilliant and helped keep the score more respectable.

At the end of the game, I could clearly see that some of the players, including the goal-scorer, had sustained wounds on their knees, but they looked unperturbed, whereas in a professional match, players would be taken off the field for treatment.

For these players, however, there was not even a first aid kits.

“This is the biggest prize we have ever won. Normally we bet for R500 per game,” said the elated Chiloane.

“We will bring the MEC for Sports (Culture, Sports and Recreation) to see the conditions under which we are playing,” said Ndinisa after the game.

The fans were disappointed when they heard that their favourite Ligwalagwala FM DJ Sdunkero was no longer coming, even though he had reported that he was already in White River and coming to the game. They were, however content to see Penny Lubisi, another famous Ligwalagwala DJ who also hails from Jerusalem.