Kasi soccer organiser slams 'European influence'

Bheki Zondo, the director of popular township tournament Philliy’s Games, which through the deal with Multichoice is now known as DStv eKasi Champ of Champs, has slammed the criticism of showboating in township soccer events.

He insisted that the criticism is sparked by the European influence.

Zondo's tournament and others in the townships, are synonymous with crazy showboating, prompting critics slamming freestyling trend as excessive and holding back the local game.

Speaking at the launch and draw of the eKasi Champ of Champs at Konka night club in Soweto on Tuesday night, Zondo didn’t hold back, insisting they don’t want any element of European football in township games. The eKasi Champ of Champs director added that the professional set-up has also failed to achieve desired results even without showboating.

“We don’t want any European influence into our football because that’s the reason our football doesn’t go anywhere. We like to imitate Europeans and forget our identity. Why don’t we do what we know? So, here it is freestyle...we are giving players freedom to do what they want and what they can do best,” Zondo said.

“We have a formal football league in the form of our professional league but we are still not going anywhere even there. Where are we going there, we are going nowhere. Now, why don’t we do what we are best known for, which is the flair. Kasi football has a future and kasi football is the way.”

The second edition of eKasi Champ of Champs will be in partnership with KwaMahlobo Games of Soweto, from June 16 to July 2. The eight-team tournament will be played at the KwaMahlobo grounds in Meadowlands and Moletsane sports complex in Moletsane, with the final to be staged at the Dobsonville Stadium. 

The tournament will use a plate and cup competition format to determine winners. Teams will play in a round-robin and group winners and runners-up will play for the main prize of R250,000 (Cup). The bottom two teams in both groups will play for R70,000 (Plate section).

This competition had all the champions from east, north, west, south and central Gauteng regions play in five qualifier tournaments with eight teams per tournament from the surrounding townships. The champions from these five tournaments qualified for the tournament together with three invitational champions from outside Gauteng – Ramokoka United (North West), Ramatlaohle (Limpopo) and Phaphama (Mpumalanga).