BY SABELO GWEBU
SOCCER – Sweet Banana are champions of the Ndzingeni Instacash installment.
Over 300 fans braved the cold and wet day to grace the last episode of the Instacash Hhohho FA Cup Ndzingeni tournament at Bulandzeni Sports Ground. Sweet Banana beat Roman United by a solitary goal in the finals after brushing aside Dangerous Darkies 2-1 in the semi-finals.
Roman, on the other hand, overcame Mahlabatsini Professionals by the same score-line in the first semi-final.
INSTACASH HHOHHO FA CUP BULANDZENI FINALS:
SEMI-FINALS
Roman United 2-1 Mahlabatsini Professionals
Sweet Banana 2-1 Dangerous Darkies
FINALS
Sweet Banana 1-0 Roman United
Hhohho Regional Football Association (HRFA) Development Officer Sibonangaye Dlamini said it has been 14 weeks of fun for the region.
“The Instacash tournament did not only entertain us as a region but also added value by bringing a different atmosphere as most of our leagues play league games week in and out. This tournament brought a different view in the sense that it was a knockout for all the regions. Rural-based zones truly appreciated this,” Dlamini said.
He added that the availability of the Public Assistant (PA) System, music, and winning kept fans busy such that referees never had tough times. The four participating teams registered the most Instacash customers in the Bulandzeni zone.
“All the teams had agents who have a pay from Instacash for every successful registration. This is a job opportunity for our unemployed brothers. If we critically look at the Instacash project, every team has been given a chance to generate its own money as they have accounts which makes them able to generate money,” he said.
Sweet Banana pocketed E5 000 first prize cheque with Roman banking E2 500 while the two losing semi-finalists received E1 000 each in their Instacash accounts.
PRIZE BREAKDOWN:
Sweet Banana: E5 000
Roman United: E2 500
Mahlabatsini Professionals and Dangerous Darkies: E1 000 each
