Phelindaba Local Football Association celebrated Youth Day in style on the 16th of June 2021. It celebrated youth in a true sense of the word.
Just to start, the PLFA tagline is “For the Love of Football, For the Love of Phelindaba, For the Love of Youth”. This alone says Phelindaba dedicates its resourcefulness in the course of the youth each and every day. Everything it does is defined by its love for the youth. So spending the Youth Day like it did this year is a normal course of the association’s business.
On the 16th of June the association was graced by the presence of Pretoria Callies during a Motsepe Donation Handover Event. This event came about as a result of Pretoria Callies winning the National Soccer League status last year at the National ABC Motsepe League Play-offs. Ending up as runners up of the play-offs, they chose Phelindaba Local Football Association as their beneficiaries to receive as a portion of their winnings from the Motsepe Foundation.
At this point it must be said that Pretoria Callies could have chosen any other Non-Profit Organisation as their beneficiaries, but chose PLFA. PLFA does not in any way feel entitled to this benefit. The association is aware that it is through the love of football and the love of Phelindaba that Pretoria Callies chose the association as its beneficiary. You will realise that immediately there is something foundationally and fundamental common there if the above-mentioned tagline is considered, and the association is pleased to share this with Callies.
With the money, the association decided to split the benefit into the following sections
1. Direct Member Benefit
2. Referees Benefit
3. Facilities Benefit;
4. Super League Winner Benefit.
The Direct Member Benefit looked to ensure the enablement of continual development at a mass participation level. This looked at both training and playing for the participating teams, particularly those who were active in 2019 and endured the striking of COVID-19 and still came back to contribute to football. In terms of playing, it looked at what are the most required materials to enable play and tried to supply those.
The Referees Benefit looked more at the equipment of Referees, from the kit to the purse. There is a lot happening now in terms of Referee development. This comes after the association faced a depletion of Referees due to them officiating high leagues fixtures and no longer being readily available to officiate local matches. A radical recruitment drive for Referees has been embarked upon. New Referees have come to the fore. Intensive training is taking place and we now need to suit these new Referees up and equip them. The process is underway. In a short space of time, our fields will be graced with fit for purpose Referees, with relevant qualifications, who are well equipped and who are well geared up. Watch the space.
For the Facilities Benefit, we are just increasing the level of professionalism in the fields, making playing a pleasurable thing to all players, coaches and referees. This includes ensuring that all the grounds are lined and goal nets are filled. So the donation includes Ground Marking Machines and Goal Nets for all grounds.
The Super League Winners for 2021, that is position 1 to position 4 have received the full Soccer Kits with the logos of the respective clubs and that of the association. This is in addition to the Trophy (for the winners), medals (winners and runners up) and prize money.
The above were handed over to the clubs on Youth Day. Past this day, all PLFA clubs that re-affiliated in 2021 have a little bit more equipment to develop and play. Thanks to Pretoria Callies and the Motsepe Foundation.
On the day we saw the Super League top 4 competition between Jacaranda, Mathaithai, The Bees and Cardinals at Lucas Moripe Stadium. They played in their new kits donated by Motsepe Foundation. Jacaranda won the finals against Mathaithai on Penalties. See the gallery here-below.
As if that was not enough, again on Youth Day, on the other side of Phelindaba, all the PLFA Junior Leagues were playing at Masopha Sports Complex. All four grounds were fully packed with football activity by both boys and girls teams. The PLFA league was in full swing. In addition, there is a preparation of the OR Tambo Soncini Regional Games. So on this day, all the players, coaches and referees of the association were fully occupied.
We thank our Executive Committee members who were also in full swing on the day. Notably our Vice Chairperson, Ms Kelebogile Lefhiedi was on duty at SAFA Tshwane with the Referees Structure. Our Technical and Development Executive was also on duty at SAFA Tshwane with the Technical Structure. Our Leagues and Competitions Executive, Mr. Zakhele Ntuli was in the thick of things at Masopha leading the activities for the association there. We thank our Vice Chairperson, Mr Setumo Kgotyane for leading the activities at Lucas Moripe Stadium. Not forgetting our Referees lead by Magezi Honwani ensuring quality referring at both Lucas Moripe Stadium and at Mosopha Grounds.
We thank our Members who most had to be in multiple places on this Day. Junior Leagues Members were playing at Masopha and made their way to Lucas Moripe to join the festivities there. Not forgetting our SAB League and Regional League participants who had to be at Masopha for their Juniors, at their away venues for their SAB League and Regional Ladies matches and still make it back to Lucas Moripe Stadium. We were united on Youth Day. The Executive Committee was being supported. They say where elephants fight it is the grass that suffers. We say where adults agree and execute together, it is the youth that develops and benefits. Thank you PLFA.
We also like to thank all who came to celebrate this day with us, including SAFA Tshwane, ASSREC and Pretoria Callies. It was a happy Youth Day Indeed.
Phelindaba and all its stakeholders wish Dioka Motsepe and Peter Ledwaba from the Motsepe Foundation speedy recovery.
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GALLERY
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