02. Who are we?
City Lads street soccer team, who hail from New Brighton, scooped the top trophy at the Kia Street Soccer Western Cape Provincial Final, which took place on Tuesday 20 August in Walmer. They scored a 2-1 victory against Young Idols street soccer team, who hail from Veeplas during the final Match.
The winning provincial team will be flown to Johannesburg next month where programme organiser Sporting Chance, in association with title sponsor KIA Motors, associate sponsor Mille, logistical partner Dawn Wing and media partners Supersport Let’s Play, Good Hope FM and Ukhozi FM, will host the competition’s ultimate clash – the National Festival Finale on Saturday 14 September. Here, the Kia Street Soccer Programme provincial winners from each region will square up in the final challenge, to determine the 2013 Kia Street Soccer champion team.
Five months ago, Sporting Chance rolled out the national neighbourhood street soccer programme across South Africa to 6000 boys and girls under the age of 13 in communities in Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and Welkom. In total, 800 teams of six players each have participated in regional leagues since May.
In the Eastern Cape, weekly round robin matches have been taking place in various communities participating in the programme including New Brighton, Motherwell, Uitenhage, Veeplas, Zwide and Walmer.
Conceptualised and co-ordinated by youth sports development agency Sporting Chance, the Kia Street Soccer programme teaches life skills through the game of soccer, to kids who need it most, where they need it most. Their communities in the 40 regions are hindered by poverty and crime, and are lacking in adequate and safe facilities as well as stimulating after-school and weekend activities.