Alex Masters Soccer League forges ahead
LOMBARDY EAST - It is never too late to play ball as retirees of the beautiful game prove it.
The Alex Masters Soccer League which was established in 2010, is slowly but surely forging ahead and currently boasts being one of the most organised master’s leagues in the country and probably the African continent.
The league holds social games every Sunday at the Victoria grounds in Lombardy East and includes well-known names such as former Bafana Bafana midfield maestros Maimane Alfred Phiri, Jabulani Mendu and Caesar Maphalla.
Phiri played for Ajax Cape Town and Moroka Swallow and spent six years in Turkey playing mostly for Genclerbirligi and also for Vanspor and Samsunspor. Maphalla played for among others Free State Stars and Santos and Mendu played for the likes of Moroka Swallows, Kaizer Chiefs Mamelodi Sundowns, and Bafana Bafana.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the editor of Alex News Sipho Siso, chairperson of the masters league City Bokaba, who is part of a new executive that came into being on 18 February, said the league consisted of 20 teams. Besides the seasonal league, Bokaba said the teams participated in four cup competitions, those being the Top 8 which is currently in action, the Maimane Alfred Phiri Games (Map Games) in June, the Spring Competition and the Year-End Tournament. Three of the competitions also involve teams of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association, with the exception of the Top 8 competition.
Bokaba said teams joined the masters league at a cost of R200 per team and also R200 per cup competition while their players are registered at R10 per player for both the league and the cup competitions. The rules and laws of the game are taken from the Fifa statutes with minor modifications here and there to suit retired players.
Although there was no formal relationship, Bokaba said the masters league worked closely with the grassroots development league of the association.
“We also work closely with the City of Johannesburg who are custodians of the ground we use,” he said.
“We’re currently in talks with them through the local Ward 81 councillor to ensure that the pitches are well maintained and kept in playable shape. Those talks are ongoing as you can see how bad our pitches are at the moment.”
