Great fare set for Jan Smuts

TWENTY-FOUR senior teams in Buffalo City Metro will battle it out for R35 000 in the MercedesBenz Easter soccer tournament.

The tournament which is being hosted by South African Football Association (Safa) BCM will get under way at the Jan Smuts Stadium on Friday.

While the main attraction will be the senior division with a R35 000 winners cheque, gold medals and a trophy, 16 legends teams will also take to the field to fight it out for a set of kit, gold medals and a trophy.

The junior division, which will have U13, U15 and U17 teams will also compete for playing kits, soccer balls, gold medals and a trophy on offer.

The finals will be Monday from 10am.

Safa-BCM spokesman Abel Iglesius said the draw for the tournament was held last night at Zensa Hotel in Quigney.

He said they will be using the Jan Smuts fields for the senior and legends divisions while the juniors will play at the Bunkers Hill Stadium.

Senior teams had to cough up a R2 500 entrance fee, legends paid R400 to be part of the spectacle while there was no entry fee for junior teams.

Runners-up in the senior division will walk away with R15 000 and silver medals, third-placed team will get R10 000 and bronze medals while the team to finish fourth will be rewarded with R5 000.

Runners-up in the legends and junior divisions will each get playing kits and silver medals.

All divisions will have a Player of the Tournament trophy, Iglesius said.

The spokesman said they were grateful to the car manufacturer for their continued support of local soccer over the years.

“This is the only Safa-BCM sanctioned Easter tournament. We are encompassing the total area because the focus is to get football throughout BCM.

“As custodians of football in BCM, we have a commitment of developing the game in the area,” he said. Iglesius said it was all systems go for the spectacle.

Entrance at the gate will be R5 for all. There will be foodstalls at the stadiums. played on