The excited boys from Elsies River United soccer club are determined to create history with their involvement in the prestigious Bayhill Premier Cup this year.
The under-19 soccer tournament which is widely recognised as one of the most esteemed of its kind in the world, will be held from March 27 to April 1, 2024, at the Erica Park sports field in Belhar, with the final to be hosted at Athlone Stadium.
This year, the competition will once again see 32 clubs vying for top honours and that’s exactly what debutants Elsies River United want to do, by testing their mettle against Mzansi’s cream of the crop.
According to club chairman Ian Goliath, their inclusion in the finals is a significant accomplishment for the community as well as the club.
Goliath says: “This is the first time that we are participating in this tournament. We have tried for a few years, but always fell out of the qualifiers. But this year we tried harder.”
Goliath says their goal is to inspire the local youth by showing that anything is possible.
The community is one of many plagued by crime, gangsterism, drugs and unemployment and he explains: “We have Elsies, Belhar and Delft [in our region] and every day we say that gangsterism won’t keep us down.
“I told them [the squad] that this is a perfect opportunity for them to inspire other young players.”
Teams like SSS Academy, Junction Rovers AFC, and the University of Pretoria have been matched with Elsies in Group E.
And Goliath adds: “We are hoping to turn a lot of heads, Elsies are the underdogs and we hope to play in the final.”
The top two finishers in each of the eight groups of four teams will advance to the round of 16, which will be followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship matches.
Patricia van der Ross, mayco member for Community Services and Health praised the impact of the tournament.
She says: “Sport can quite literally change lives and afford young people opportunities that they might not have thought possible.”
