Cape Town Gem Turns Pro

By Joshua Hendricks  

It is every sportsperson’s dream to turn professional, and that dream has been realized by Cape Town rising football star Mogamat Samodien May when he signed his professional contract with Cape Town City FC. 

The Hanover Park-born May has put pen to paper on a deal for City’s DStv Premiership team, under the guidance of Eric Tinkler, from the Regional Third Division team Hanover Park FC. His signing makes him join an impressive growing list of Cape Town footballers who fought their way onto the books of the Citizens, confirming the club’s commitment to investing in and developing local football.  

After signing with the Citizens, May expressed his delight and gratefulness. 

“I’m ecstatic, over the moon. No words can describe how grateful I am for Metamorphosize Personal Training and the coaching staff at Hanover Park FC. Also Cape Town City FC for believing in me and giving me this life-changing opportunity. This, to me, is another shot at life. An opportunity to better myself both as a player and as an individual.”

Riedewaan Anthony, Chairman of Hanover Park FC, congratulated May and said his move means a lot to many youngsters on the Cape Flats.

“We congratulate Samodien on his departure to Cape Town City. Representing the hopes and dreams of so many kids on the Cape Flats. Hanover Park always produces players for the likes of Ajax Cape Town (now Cape Town Spurs) and other academies. The stats prove that a huge amount of players from the area eventually join top academies. 

“We wish him well and hopefully this motivates others to do the same. This will inspire them that one of our own will play in the PSL (Premier Soccer League) again following the likes of Clinton Emmanuel, Simphiwe Phama, Amigo Memela(AmaZulu) and Alfred Ndengane(Maritzburg United). So Samodien will join this list.”

According to Anthony, May has been with Hanover Park from the early ages.

“He started in the mini’s group and continued until the age of 15. He was one of the reasons we won the Mr Price Tournament. Beating all the top academies and that drew their attention to him, prompting the move to Old Mutual and later Ajax. He then returned back to us at the age of 22.

A natural goal poacher, who is comfortable with both feet and his magnificent aerial ability, May’s rise to the professional ranks will not come as a surprise in the Mother City’s football fraternity.  

“Mo” as he is known, has experience playing in the GladAfrica Championship with Steenberg United, however game time was limited.

 

 

Recently he has been in fine form by showcasing his goal scoring prowess which matches up with his accurate creativity.  

He is currently the leading goal-scorer in the Safa Cape Town’s Regional Third Division League, having bagged 13 goals and nine assists in just 10 games for Hanover Park FC. Tonight he played his last game for the team and scored a goal as Park beat Goal 50 United 3-0 to strengthen its position at the summit of the league. That was after Mo had bagged a brace to secure all three points when Park defeated Bayview Football Club 2-1.  

“It was a difficult weekend for the team because we played two games, one on Friday and the other on Sunday. Especially Sunday was a bit tough because of the heat but we pushed through and got the three points”, said May after the Bayview game.   

“In the first half we dominated and got the goal. Then we took our foot off the paddle in the second half, allowing Bayview into the game. Luckily, I managed to get the second goal that secured the win but it was a team effort on a challenging weekend.”  

It was hoped that the former Old Mutual and Ajax academy graduate would play a key role in Hanover Park’s quest for the title as his goals have made the Brasse van die Park serious contenders for the Third Division title. Now that he has reached his dreams, Park will have to do without him.  

Nevertheless, his progression will be seen as a great motivation for footballers playing in the lower divisions. Anything is possible because there is always someone watching you. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rezaan “Kaka” Jacobs – Coach of Bayview FC SAFA Cape Town Regional Third Division

It was a mouth-watering encounter involving two teams going into the fixture with unbeaten records when new kids on the block Clarewood JPM hosted experienced Zizwe United at the weekend.

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From the Editor: Issue 7

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Varsity Rugby Returns to Campuses as Cape Fans’ Wish Delayed

 

Staff Writer    Images: Facebook

Western Cape rugby fans will have to wait a little longer to get any chance of realizing their aspiration to see all four universities competing in the Varsity Cup – South Africa’s premier university rugby competition.

This comes after the Varsity Cup announced on Friday that no team will be promoted from the Varsity Shield to the Varsity Cup at the end of the 2022 season, which is set to kick-off in the next few weeks. Instead, two teams will be relegated from the Cup and one team will be chopped from the Shield at the end of the current two-year cycle based on the combined 2021-2022 logs. From the 2023 season, there will be eight teams in the Cup and eight in the Shield, Varsity Cup said in a statement.

This may be bad news for the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) who have been in fine form, winning both the 2019 and 2021 Varsity Shield titles. Both the Cup and Shield were suspended midway through the 2020 season due to Covid-19.

As things stand, the Cup has 10 teams with Cape’s Maties of Stellenbosch University, Ikeys Tigers of the University of Cape Town and the University of the Western Cape among them. CPUT is the only Cape representative in the seven-team Shield.

Can CPUT maintain their dominance of the Shield and earn promotion to the Cup next season? Also, can all three WC varsities in the Cup keep their status and avoid the chop? That is a wish of many Cape rugby fans for all four varsities to play in the top league. But, as they say, time will tell.

Meanwhile, the Cup will return to the campuses around the country for the first time since the 2020 season, with each participant playing home and away matches and a limited number of fans allowed into the stadiums to cheer up their teams. Shield matches will be staged at a single venue each match day from Rounds 1-6, with the home teams hosting games in Round 7.

“The South African sporting community has endured a tough time over the past two years, so it’s great to see the FNB Varsity Cup returning to the participating universities across the nation,” said Xhanti-Lomzi Nesi, Varsity Cup Tournament Manager. “We’re particularly excited to have the fans back in the stadiums.

“We’re expecting a fiercely competitive tournament. Two teams will be relegated to the FNB Varsity Shield at the end of the 2022 season, so there is certainly a lot on the line. The FNB Varsity Cup has always prioritized innovation, pushing the boundaries and changing the lives of those who form part of the community,’ Nesi continued. 

The Varsity Cup tournament kicks off on 14 February and the Shield matches are set to commence on 4 March.

 Putting the spotlight on mental health 

This season, the FNB Varsity Cup’s Pink Shorts campaign will aim to raise awareness around mental health.

“A key narrative of the 15th edition of the FNB Varsity Cup is the mental health of the student athletes,” Nesi said. “Following a disruptive two-year period due to the pandemic, students have been forced to study remotely. It has taken a toll. We aim to raise awareness and acknowledge the challenges that these rugby players face on a daily basis.” 

For fixtures click here.

 

 

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