SAB League National Championship kicks off

SOUTH African Breweries (SAB) and South African Football Association (SAFA) have announced the game schedule for the 15th SAB League National Championships during an official public draw on Thursday July 10 in Johannesburg.

SAB League National Championships are set to take place at the North West University Stadium in Mafikeng, North West province, beginning Monday July 14 and ending with the final match on Sunday July 20.

The participating teams include the nine provinces and a team from University Sports South Africa (USSA).

The Western Cape team is the 2013 defending champions.

SAB has been the title sponsor of SAFA’s largest senior grassroots football division for more than a decade. In 2013, the company extended this commitment in partnership with SAFA to developing the country’s football for a further five years.

SAB has long understood the responsibility that comes from being a leading corporate citizen and is constantly striving to be a force for good within society. These efforts extend to sport in particular and football at grassroots level.

“SAB has been focused on developing people to empower them and transform their lives; a focus that has been honed in on football specifically, with development being an important element of our football sponsorship. At the heart of this commitment is a decades-long investment in the country’s largest grassroots league, the SAB League, which aims to develop SA’s future football stars and of course to bring positive socio-economic change to players and in turn, communities,” says Muzi Chonco, SAB Manager Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Investment.

Chonco’s sentiments were echoed by SAFA’s chair of the Competitions Committee, Nomsa Mahlangu. “SAB has always been a true and consistent partner when it comes to football development, and their commitment to soccer development is well documented in this country. We request other corporates to emulate the corporate citizenship of SAB in helping shape the future of this country,” said Mahlangu.

During the SAB League National Championships this year, the Castle SuperStars scouts and ambassadors, including Neil Tovey and Phil Masinga, will observe players with the hope of unearthing South Africa’s future football talent. Players lucky to be selected attend an intensive two-week training camp designed to fast track player development through a series of seminars and training sessions. During training the Castle Lager Super Stars XI get to play practice matches against top PSL teams, where they are exposed to other talent scouts.

Meanwhile, Carling Black label has focused on uplifting coaches, working with the SAB League to identify top coaches and put them through a training programme, which will enable them to transition to a higher league, while promoting coaches as educators and role models in communities.