Safa Easter tournament features nail-biting finals

SAFA Chatsworth’s Easter tournament produced some heart-pounding moments with two finals decided on penalty shoot-outs and a third ending 5-4.

Public relations officer Jace Govender said the cup final between Kingston FC and Rangers FC would be remembered for a long time.

The first half produced just one goal with tournament rookies Rangers taking the lead. However, the second half produced 30 minutes of football few will forget.

“Rangers, with their quick, incisive one-touch football quickly established a 4-1 lead through the outstanding Reagan Naidoo and Kingston looked dead and buried,” said Govender.

“Enter Daniel Christopher of Kingston. The tall, burly striker pulled two goals back and with a 4-3 scoreline and a few minutes to go, a grandstand finish was on the cards. Christopher then powered his way to an equaliser with two minutes left on the clock.

“In the dying moments of the game, Kingston’s right back, Iqbal Kadar, controlled a ball on the touchline and with his back to goal hooked a wicked cross into the box which the Rangers defence allowed to bounce. Christopher pounced and, with a precise header into the corner of the goal, sealed an amazing comeback victory to lift the cup 5-4.”

The president of the association, Nelson “Spinx” Kuppen, thanked the clubs, spectators and sponsors KSN Consulting and H2O Blasting Systems.

Naidoo, of Rangers FC, was named player of the tournament, Kalvin Soobramoney (Young Clydes) was goalkeeper of the tournament and Greenstoke FC were team of the tournament.

In the Plate final, Melchester United were up against Meadford A and the match went to a penalty shoot-out, which Meadford won 7-6. The Bowl final in which Greenstoke City took on Young Clydes also ended deadlocked. Greenstoke won the shoot-out 4-2. – Post reporter