Thus far, very few – except those in the inner circle – really know who the visiting teams are that will be participating in the u.19 Bayhill Premier Cup!
Alas! The ‘secrecy’ around this will all be revealed at the launch of the 37th edition, which takes place at the Civic Centre’s Mayoral Banquet Hall in Cape Town on Saturday – with the who’s who of who expected to grace this event.
Needless to say, all eyes will be on the most important part of the evening – the draw – as the local academies and amateur teams have been kept in the ‘dark’ long enough and are extremely eager to know their respective fate as to who they will be facing.
This Easter Spectacle takes place from 1 April to 6 April at the Erica Park Sport Complex in Belhar. The respective finals will, as with the previous two years, be held at the home of Cape Town football, the Athlone Stadium.
According to the Tournament Director, Rayaan Alie, it’s all system go and the anticipation and excitement for the draw is tangible.
“Firstly, we are extremely grateful to our partners and sponsors who play a big role in getting the event off the ground,” Alie explained to No Bones with Jones. “Not forgetting our very own organising committee, who works tirelessly behind the scenes. This is the fruits of your labour as well and just know we are fortunate to have such dedicated and passionate people that contributes to the success.
Alie further elaborated: “There are at least 15 teams travelling in from outside the province. We have a good mix of professional and academy teams, as well as amateur teams who will represent their local communities.
“The Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Free State are represented in the mix. To add a little more allure, there are also two teams travelling in from abroad. It’s extremely important to get the mix of teams right as this is the catalyst to make the cream rise to the top,” Alie concluded.
