Top 8 to battle for honours

AFTER hosting riveting knockout football action over the past two weeks involving the 32 clubs, the East London Central Local Football Association will end its third Edition NoelMein Cup competition this weekend at the North End Stadium.

The scene is now set for the remaining eight sides to battle it out in the quarterfinals today for a place in tomorrow’s cup semifinals and final.

Competition sponsor Noel Meintjies shared thoughts with the remaining contestants.

“I thought about a slogan for this cup competition and I came up with the slogan ‘Cup of Confidence’.

“I trust by your participation in this competition it will boost each and everyone’s confidence to reach for the top.”

Defending NoelMein Cup champions Seagulls and Star of India are the only sides to have reached every cup quarterfinal since this competition’s inaugural season in 2015.

These two North End giants face each other in the main match today at 4.30pm in a repeat of last season’s cup quarterfinal which Seagulls won 2-1.

Star of India beat Seagulls 3-0 in this year’s Easter Tournament Platinum Cup final.

This season Star of India have won the Easter Football Tournament and are now handsomely placed in third position on the premier league log standings.

Seagulls reached the Easter Tournament Platinum Cup final and have also played their way up into second place on the premier log standings – two points behind the front-runners.

East London Central fifth anniversary and 2017 Easter Tournament Gold Cup champions Pride of India have turned things around this season after a tough 2016 by their standards.

They host Atlantic Spurs at 3pm for a cup semifinal place.

Spurs have been sublime in the cup, thumping Imonti Christian Centre 6-2 in the first round, and eliminating Brothers Peace 4-2 in the Last 16.

Buffalo City Sports Academy cross swords 1.30pm.

Leeds United and K-Way lock horns at noon in an all first division promotional league quarterfinal cup contest.

Tomorrow Leeds United or KWay will face either Buffalo City Sports Academy or Saints in the first semifinal at 10am and Seagulls or Star of India will face Pride of India or Atlantic Spurs in the second semi at 11.15am.

At 12.30pm Leeds U18 battle it out with Swaraj U18 in a Deolin Willemse-sponsored U18 league encounter and Seagulls U14 take on FC East London U14 at 1.40pm in a Joe Hendricks Memorial U14 league fixture. The 2017 NoelMein Cup final takes place at 3.30pm.

East London Central Local Football Association will host a council meeting today at 11am at the North End Stadium.

Discussions will include the upcoming Second Edition North End Legends gala evening on August 5 and the annual Allen van der Hoven Golf Day Youth Development fund raiser scheduled to take place on August 9 at the West Bank Golf Club. with Saints at