Sports reporter
Pioneer FC lifted the senior crown after edging Classic FC in a tense final that kept the Iyana Cup in Dunoon, while in the junior ranks Liverpool U16 were crowned champions after a confident, free-flowing campaign that thrilled the crowd.
The victories came at the Iyana Foundation Annual Soccer Tournament, held at the Dunoon Sports Complex and concluding on Sunday 9 November.
The nine-day competition turned the township into a festival of football, drawing crowds from across Cape Town and reaffirming Dunoon’s place at the heart of grassroots sport.
Launched in 2022 with just a handful of Milnerton teams, the tournament has grown into one of the city’s most anticipated community events, featuring 32 senior sides this year and a U16 division from the Dunoon Local Football Association.
Prize money totalled more than R24 000, with the senior winners taking home R12 000, new kits, medals and a trophy. Coaches, goalkeepers and disciplined players were also recognised for their performances.
Organiser Abongile Sondlo, who founded the Iyana Foundation in 2018 and registered it officially in 2022, said the event has always been powered by passion and community pride.
“We run this with heart and our own resources. It’s about giving young players something to aim for and keeping football alive,” said Sondlo.
Teams travelled from Khayelitsha, Delft, Strand and Mfuleni to compete, with sponsors such as Somali Community and Zozo’s Pizza lending support.
For two lively weeks, Dunoon’s dusty pitches became the beating heart of township football.