Soccer season comes to an end

FOOTBALL NEWS - The South African Football Association (Safa) Eden Third Division League and other local leagues are now officially on the festive season break. Their last league fixtures were played on Saturday afternoon, 3 December.

The fixtures set for Saturday 10 December were postponed due to the busy festive period. The 2023 games in this league will kick off again on Saturday, 14 January 2023.

After the Covid-19 pandemic brought a halt to all non-professional sporting activities, the soccer seasons of 2021/22 and 2022/23 were especially exciting in amateur football. Let's look at some 2022 soccer highlights.

At provincial schools level, Jonga High School represented the Eden Region in the provincial Kay Motsepe u.19 Schools Cup competition for the first time in their history. At provincial club level, Black Cats Football Club qualified for the semi-professional Western Cape ABC Motsepe Provincial League.

Sadly, they only lasted one season in the elite league and were relegated to the lowest division, the Safa Eden Third Division Regional League. At regional level, the Southern Stars women's team from Knysna won the Eden Regional Women's League, but failed to qualify for the provincial league.

The Lawaaikamp side Simunye Football Club were crowned as the Safa Eden Third Division champions after winning 28 games and losing only two fixtures last season. The Lawaaikamp soldiers qualified for the Western Cape Regional League, but did not make it to the semi-professional Western Cape ABC Motsepe League.

The Plettenberg Bay side Oriented Birds earned their spot in the Regional Nedbank Cup Championships.

They however fell short in points in their group and missed the big chance of playing in the National Nedbank Cup Championships. Oriented Birds also won the Heritage Diski Challenge, which was held in George.

Smuts United from Sedgefield and Sea Birds from Mossel Bay both gained promotion to the Safa Eden Third Division League after winning the Local Football Association (LFA) playoffs held in Knysna recently.

Smuts United have won two major trophies in the Knysna LFA, namely the Oyster Festival and Easter Soccer Festival. Black Cats FC claimed the Easter Tournament in George while Raul Stars were the champions of the Babize Bonke Tournament which was held at the Thembalethu Stadium.

George Herald wishes all our readers a happy festive season and a prosperous new year.

Jonga High School u.19 soccer team represented the Eden Region in the Western Cape Kay Motsepe u.19 Schools Cup finals.