Alex Royal Tigers honours its royal cubs for a job well done in 2019

Alex Royal Tigers SC celebrated its year-end function in style at the Malboro Stadium on 7 December, after two of their teams won the ANLFA league and the Maimane Alfred Phiri (Map) Games tournament finals this year.

The event, attended by players, parents and dignitaries, helped the team take stock of progress made this year and also to reflect on the year ahead.

The U13 and U 17 teams won the league in their respective divisions and were both crowned champions of the Map Games 2019. It was a job well-done for the two respective coaches, said club founder and coach Thembinkosi ‘Tiger’ Matholengwe.

“Even though the U15s were eliminated in the semi-finals of the Map Games and the AMSL (Alex Masters Soccer League) tournaments, they did well as a team, and there were players who stood out.

“Although winning is important, Alex Royal Tigers is all about player development and creating future leaders. We are more than just a team, we are a movement focused on uplifting the African child,” said Matholengwe.

Speakers included Advocate Ngoasheng Maselela who inspired the players with his personal life story of how he made it as a lawyer despite his humble beginnings, where his parents did not have money to send him to university. Programme director and coach Judith Lengwati also shared her experiences from poor beginnings to where she is today.

The third guest speaker was Abdul Milazi, a life coach, inspirational speaker, musician, visual artist, internationally renowned and multi-award winning poet, former soccer player in the then NPSL (National Professional Soccer League) and former journalist and editor of national and international publications, including GQ magazine, Tribute magazine, Sunday World, Financial Mail, Business Day, The Witness, Sunday Tribune, Times Live, The Star, and Sowetan, among others.

Matholengwe added, “Abdul is running a special coaching programme for us which combines life coaching and football technical acumen. As a professional player, he played in the third, second and first divisions of the then NPSL, he also played in Saudi Arabia, which is why I believe the knowledge he has will help our players grow and become disciplined professional players. That is why I roped him in at Alex Royal Tigers.”

Matholengwe said 2020 will be more intense in terms of training and development. Tiger, as he is better known in football circles, is developing relationships with teams in the Premier Soccer League and lower leagues within Safa, so that players from the club can get opportunities to turn professional.

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