Map Games 2020 postponed due to Covid-19
ALEXANDRA – The 2020 annual amateur football festival, known as the 'World Cup' of Alexandra by many, has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The organisers of the Maimane Alfred Phiri (Map) Games announced that the 2020 annual amateur football festival has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The festival is known by many as the ‘World Cup of Alex’ as it draws multitudes of footballing-loving fans to the month-long games on an annual basis since conception in 2001. It was scheduled to take place from 23 May until 19 July this year.
Volunteer spokesperson of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Map Games Stanley Makhubela said, “We are keeping a close eye on the development around the Covid-19 disease and if it takes a turn for the better, we hope to organise the hosting of the games later in September and October.
“The LOC would like to take this opportunity to thank the people of Alexandra for their understanding of the situation of the virus afflicting the South African public and the world at large.”
Map Gamed was founded by Alexandra’s iconic footballer Maimane Alfred Phiri, a former Ajax Cape Town and Swallows midfield maestro who also distinguished himself as a regular Bafana Bafana star. Phiri founded the games as his social responsibility project while still playing professionally in Turkey as a way to give back to the community of Alexandra which shaped him to become the player he was.
Although it started off with only four teams, Map Games now boasts well over 200 teams from five different provinces. The games have a juniors and seniors development section, with juniors catering for teams that mainly ply their trade in the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association while the senior comprise teams from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West.
The tournament has over the years produced talented players such as Mpho Makola, Lebogang Manyama, Lebogang Phiri, Simphiwe Tshabalala, Simphiwe Dludlu and Bongani Zungu to name but a few.
Makhubela urged all South Africans to observe the regulations of the lockdown, and to also wash their hands with soap for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based sanitiser, adhere to physical distancing and, most importantly, to stay at home. He added, “We would like to pay tribute to the Health Ministry, the SANDF, and the police men and women and all essential workers who are at the forefront of fighting this pandemic and keeping us safe in these trying times.
“We would also like to send a big thank you to our various stakeholders, partners and sponsors; those being Soweto Gold, MTN, Daily Sun, Africa Meter Reading, Boston City Campus, Alex FM, Alex News and the City of Johannesburg for committing their unwavering support to Map Games.”
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