It’s down to last round of 16 in Coke Cup

Mark Ward|Published 6 months ago

Liverpool Portland’s Kyle Weeler clears the ball during his side’s last round of 32 match against Montague Spurs at the Rooikrans sports ground in Grassy Park on Sunday. Picture: Mark Ward

Mark Ward

Safa Cape Town’ flagship competition is reaching its business end with squads from across the city battling for their spot in the last round of 16.

Grassy Park-based Montague Spurs gave a sterling performance in a senior fixture against Liverpool Portland, to inspire hope that this southern suburbs based side is making a serious bid for Coke Cup honours.

Kyle Weeler of Liverpool Portland clears the ball away from Montague Spurs’ Toufiek Lewin during their Safa Cape Town Coke Cup last round of 32 match, at Rooikrans, on Sunday. Picture: Mark Ward

Spurs emerged 2-0 winners over Liverpool Portland in an emotionally charged round of 32 encounter which, at times reached boiling point, with some argy-barging threatening the abandonment of the match way before half-time at the Rooikrans sports ground in Ninth Avenue, Grassy Park, on Sunday.

Referee Ryan New intervenes to cool down emotions during the Safa Cape Town last round of 32 match between Liverpool Portland and Montague Spurs, at the Rooikrans sports ground, in Grassy Park, on Sunday. Picture: Mark Ward

Referee Ryan New kept his cool, giving time for emotions to subside before resuming the match after a seven-minute cool-down period. He, however, red-carded Portland’s Keenan van der Merwe for his involvement in an unsavoury incident which ignited the ensuing scuffles. Play resumed with no further incidents with both teams going hard and fast into tackles while play swung from one goal area to the other.

But in the end, it was Chad Williams and Imtiyaaz Arend’s second half strikes which booked the lads from the Cape District LFA’s place among the Top 16 teams in Safa Cape Town’s premier competition.

Montague Spurs coach Munzir Dalvie, cautiously optimistic going into the next round. Picture: Mark Ward

Munzir Dalvie, coach of Spurs, says he is mindful of the battles which still awaits them in the next round, but feels his players have the right temperament to help the club achieve their first major regional success.

“The Coke Cup is one of the goals which we have set down to achieve this season. Reaching the last 16 is already a milestone for us. I draw lots of encouragement from this performance for which I am incredibly pleased. I must however just add, we still have a local LFA Super League competition for which we are still in contention. Winning the league is another big one for us. We are currently in fourth place on the log,” he said.

“The match against Liverpool was very physical and hard. We also defended well. I am glad we came through this one and we now prepare for the next round,” said Dalvie.

Peter Adams of Hanover Park tries to worm his way through the Azzurri defence during their last round of 32 Safa Cape Town Coke Cup fixture, at the Rooikrans sportsground, in Grassy Park on Sunday. Picture: Mark Ward

In other action, Hanover Park FC club chairperson, Riedewaan Anthony, occupied the coaching hot seat on the sidelines at the Rooikrans A- field to guide the former champions to a 3-1 win against Parkwood’s Azzurri.

In the hot seat...Hanover Park FC club chairperson, Riedewaan Anthony. Picture: Mark Ward

Anthony and his co-coaches had endured a spirited fightback from Azzurri where former Battswood star player Colin Atkins was the calling shots.

While the Brasse Vannie Park, as Hanover Park are affectionately known, were 2-0 up, Saeed Adriaanse netted with seven minutes to go to reduce the deficit. But this fightback was too late with strikes from Safwan Hendricks, Lionel Saal and star performing midfielder Peter Adams just enough to send the Brasse through the next round.

Togeur Classen of Hanover Park controls the ball with Azzurri’s Ash-maeel de Beer closing in on him during their last round of 32 Safa Cape Town Coke Cup fixture, at Rooikrans, on Sunday. Picture: Mark Ward

Saeed Adriaanse of Azzurri heads the ball past Hanover Park’s Lionel Saal during their last round of 32 Coke Cup clash, at the Rooikrans sports ground, in Grassy Park, on Sunday. Picture: Mark Ward

Results:

Saxon Rover 5 Bellstar United 4; Lion City 3 Barmsley Spurs 1; Salt River Blackpool 1 Electric City 0; Two for Joy 4 Silver City 2; FC Tafelzucht 5 U & I Makhaza 4; Young Pirates 7 Bellville United 3; Vasco da Gama 4 City Rose 0; Fast XI 1 Hazendal 0, FC Salvo 5 Edgemead 4; Goulburn 6 Golden Gate 2; Only the Brave 4 Everton 3; Young Idols 4 Blue Downs Spurs 0; Bishop Lavis 3 Beacon Spurs 1