David Rossouw
Fans are expected to flock to the soccer fields on the peninsula and in Dunoon and Atlantis as the South African Football Association Cape Town Region Coca-Cola Cup returns for the 22nd time.
Last year, the UCT woman’s football team defeated Heideveld Female Football Academy (HFFA) 2-1 in the women’s division, Cape Town City was crowned champions after a 3-1 win over arch-rivals Ubuntu Football Academy in the under-18 division, and Diadora of Grassy Park were crowned senior men’s Coca-Cola Cup champions after a 2-0 win over Clover, from Mandalay. Who will take these wins this year?
Following the postponement of the preliminary first-round matches of the 2023 SAFA Cape Town Peninsula Beverages Coca-Cola amateur Cup to Sunday 28 May, various youth and senior teams traveled to Dunoon Sports Complex to open their Coca-Cola accounts.
Dunoon Youth Sports Academy (DYSA) and Jomo’s Power Atlantis who recently competed in the 2023 Roger Clayton Premier Cup for under-19 teams, hosted Eerste River FC from the Northern Suburbs, and Jordan Callies from Rygate.
On the A-field, the DYSA under-18 squad got off to a fast start against Eerste River, scoring their first goal in the fifth minute, demonstrating that they must be kept in check if Eerste River was to have any success.
The Eerste River goalkeeper was bombarded with cannon shots by DYSA’s sharpshooters, but he did his job well and held his ground against the attacks.
Eerste River’s first goal came as a result of superb play by their midfielders in the 20th minute. The ball went over the DYSA goalkeeper’s head and into the far corner for an incredible goal.
But DYSA took just eight minutes to put another one in the net, taking a 2-1 half-time lead.
On the B field, Jomo’s Power and Jordan Callies were fighting for territorial dominance, with Jomo’s coming out on top. Although CJ van Zyl scored the first goal for Jomo’s, poor judgment on both sides and a soggy surface hampered both teams’ play.
Jomo’s struggled the most, making too many blunders in the midfield, allowing Callies to capitalise on their undisciplined and unlawful activities in the penalty area ‑ Callies scored an easy penalty shortly before half time.
Meanwhile, on the A field, DYSA improved and scored three verdure goals, while Eerste River only scored one. DYSA won 5-3 to move to the round of 256.
Callies ripped up Jomo’s strong legs on the B field, and only great shielding by the goalkeeper, Monray Doty, kept them from scoring, but the inevitable came to pass, and one slipped past Doty in the 50th minute, putting Callies up with a second goal.
Jomo’s fought back in the final five minutes of the contest, attacking Callie’s goal box in search of an equalizer and finding a corner for CJ Van Zyl to sail the ball in to Alonso Williams to level the scores and take the game to a penalty shoot-out.
In the shoot-out, Doty’s two great saves in the goal box won the game for Jomo’s Power.
Other Dunoon teams advanced to round 256 in the senior men’s division: FC Mimosa defeated Stephanian Ottery 2-0, while Pioneer FC defeated Eleven for Joy 5-1. When their opponents failed to appear for their matches, both Chillie Boys and 50/50 FC gained soft points.