MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Despite showing signs of fatigue in the finals of the CBS Legends Soccer Tournament, East London’s Southern Wood Masters were officially crowned the champions after beating the Hermanus Legends 4-1 on Sunday afternoon, 22 March.
The tournament took place at the Ext 23 sportsgrounds in Mossel Bay and included 24 participating teams from across the country. The players are all over the age of 40.
Before the final game, the Southern Wood Masters had defeated Cape Town’s FC Legends 1-0. In the semi-final match, the Hermanus Legends defeated the Barcelona Legends 5-4 on penalty shoot-outs to secure their place in their finals.
The final match was kicked off by the Hermanus Legends, who were eager for chances inside the box. Southern Wood Masters handled the pressure very well, blocking many of the Hermanus players’ opportunities.
By half-time, however, no goals were scored.
The second half saw both sides struggling, with the Hermanus Legends hitting the sides of the goalpost several times.
The winner of the tournament was determined on penalty shoot-outs after a goalless draw.
The CBS Legends Football Club’s chairperson, Sinethemba August, told Mossel Bay Advertiser the final game had delivered an exciting finish and ended on a high note.
He emphasised the event has united the teams and their supporters in a celebration of football as well as community spirit.
He said the on-field success and the tournament’s greatest impact are felt through its community initiative, known as the Pass it Forward Legends programme, which provides brand-new soccer boots to 21 young players to kick-start their football dreams.
After the final game, the Southern Wood Masters (yellow) shake hands with the Hermanus Legends team. Photo: Zama Gagu
“The hard work and effort championed by the CBS Legends teams throughout the tournament underscores our deeper mission of empowering the next generation by removing barriers to participation and creating meaningful opportunities that extend well beyond the game,” said August.
The Southern Wood Masters’ captain, Vuyolethu Makalima, said it has not been an easy journey to get to Mossel Bay and participate in the tournament as the East London team had been facing some challenges, but that when it came to playing on the field, they stood united as a team.
The results of the quarter-final, semi-final and final games were as follows:
Quarter-finals
• Sundowns Legends vs Barcelona Legends: 1-2
• Kouga Legends vs Hermanus Legends: 1-6
• Avolon Legends vs FC Legends: 0-1
• Gansbaai Legends vs Southern Wood Legends: 1-3.
Semi-finals
• Hermanus Legends vs Barcelona Legends: 5-4
• FC Legends vs Southern Wood Legends: 0-1
Finals
• Hermanus Legends vs Southern Wood Masters: 1-4.
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