Passion for soccer in Zandspruit

When one hears about soccer, they cannot help but think of the viral meme of Brazilian footballer Neymar rolling around on the field at the Fifa World Cup.

But for soccer players in Zandspruit, rolling on the soccer field feigning injury is a luxury. That is because their soccer field is a hard ground with no grass, no field markings and their goal nets are held down with stones. But this does not diminish the love and passion Zandspruit soccer players have for the game.

Every Sunday, the Zandspruit Football Association’s league takes place and teams from all over the informal settlement compete for glory. On 16 June, the association hosted a four-team tournament to celebrate the public holiday.

Spectators were treated to top-notch soccer as Arsenal, Morris, Flames and Wayeni football clubs showed off their respective talents. In the semi-finals, Arsenal beat Flames 2–1 while Wayeni beat Morris 1–0. In the final, Wayeni went on to beat Arsenal 4–0.

The community is encouraged to head to Zandspruit Informal Settlement to support the teams hoping to win the league.

Related article: https://www.citizen.co.za/randburg-sun/345327/creating-a-safe-place-for-kya-sands-children/