Northerns clinch veterans league

After an unbeaten season, the Benoni Northerns Football Club’s veterans were crowned champions of the Eastern Local Football Association (ELFA) veterans league division four.

The team achieved the impossible in a division that seemed tight on paper because of the quality of the teams.

But their experience and dedication blew their opposition away, and they remained unbeaten this year. They scored 18 goals and conceded only six in six games.

“We finally did it and achieved our goal. All credit to the players. A huge congratulations to all involved with our team and our football committee for all their support,” said coach Marco du Plessis.

Du Plessis started the team in 2017 after seeing the need for a veterans’ side at Northerns.

“Our philosophy at the time was to allow coaches to practice and implement what they teach,” Du Plessis said.

Their first year was a learning curve for Du Plessis’ charges, growing as a team and improving with every game.

“Our goal was to win the league before age caught up with us, and we became too old to play competitive football.

“With this objective at hand, it was easy to motivate the players. They stepped up to the plate with each game we played. The more games we won, the stronger we became, and we started to dream and believe this could be our season.”

Du Plessis said he is proud of the respect and honour his players showed for their jerseys and badge, adding that it’s a principle they intend to instil in younger players.

“I take so much pride in this team and how they dug deep in difficult games when their bodies told them they couldn’t anymore. They kept pushing and overcame those difficult moments to get crucial results,” he said.

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