Rygersdal on quest for Premier Cup glory

fuad Esack|Published 11 months ago

Group C features Greenwood Athletic, FC Porto, Hanover Park United and Rygersdal FC.

The annual under-19 Bayhill Premier Cup (BPC) kicked off yesterday, Wednesday March 27, at Erica Park, Belhar with youth teams from across the city and country going head-to-head for ultimate glory.

At the time of going to print, Rondebosch-based Rygersdal FC were gearing up for their opening fixture against Hanover Park United FC.

Slotted in Group C, along with Greenwood Athletic, FC Porto and Hanover Park, Rygersdal will have their work cut out if they hope to go beyond the group stages.

Rygersdal FC’s Abdul Ismail and Antalyaspor’s Tshebetso Thali keep their eye on the ball during their sides’ final Premier Cup play-off fixture in Wynberg, earlier this year. Picture: Fuad Esack

Over the next few days group stage and knockout matches will be played in Belhar with the finals scheduled for Athlone Stadium on Monday April 1.

“Everyone who follows football is acutely aware of the opportunities the tournament presents to players, coaches, managers and even officials,” said tournament director Rayaan Alie, “many of whom have been selected at the event and have gone on to enjoy illustrious careers in the beautiful game.”

Rygersdal’s Waylin Abrahams slips through the gap during his sides final Premier Cup play-off fixture in Wynberg, earlier this year. Picture: Fuad Esack

This year, he said, the entire BPC event will be broadcast live to the SuperSport Schools app, and supporters are encouraged to download the app which can also be used by clubs to analyse matches.

“The contribution from SuperSport Schools has quadrupled in 2024, with 73 matches being covered live on the app for the duration of the event, as well as having streamed the entire play-off and round robin stages in the build up to BPC24,” said Alie.

Slotted in Group C, Rygersdal will face Greenwood Athletic, FC Porto and Hanover Park in the opening rounds of the Premier Cup.