I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that the biggest youth spectacle on the African continent, the Bayhill Premier Cup, has for a fourth time, and a second consecutive year, kicked off with only 31 teams – instead of the conventional 32.
This comes after another team from outside the borders of Cape Town and South Africa, Medeama SC from Ghana, withdrew due to alleged problems with their visas.
The Bayhill organisers responded – to what can be called shambolic and amateurish planning – with a press statement that reads: “It is with profound regret that we must inform you of withdrawal from the Bayhill Premier Cup. Due to unforeseen logistical challenges with flight arrangements, the team from Ghana was unable to travel to South Africa.
“As the tournament has already commenced, replacing Medeama SC is no longer feasible. On behalf of the organizing committee, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding,” the statement read.
Now, perhaps one is not clued up enough to know what it requires to put together a tournament of this magnitude, but one thing is for sure, there is no way that one would allow at an Easter spectacle as massive as the Bayhill Cup, that comes once a year and that requires a four-month long playoff campaign, to kick off with a team less – it’s mind boggling to say the least!
How fair is it to the rest of the clubs participating in the tournament and particularly those drawn in group H who have to navigate the group stage with only three teams?
Medeama’s first game was only fixtured for Thursday, the second day of the tournament and surely there was ample time for a (local) team which should have been on standby, to fill their spot.
Were there any contingency plans made? Should there not have been a second best qualifier at the playoffs informed to be on standby? Or whatever? But to play a spectacle like this with a team less is scandalous.
I mean, in any business or organisation, one has to cater for unforeseen circumstances – especially if there’s been a history of a similar situation in the past. Did they not learn anything from previous experiences?
In 2023, another side from outside Cape Town Dinokeng Sport Academy withdrew after their bus allegedly broke down enroute to the Mother City.
In 2019 Khan Yunus from Palestine also could not make it on time.
In 2014 a team from Kenya also did not pitch.
This seems to be a regular trend at the event and it has to stop! But then again, this is what one gets when finances are the driving force while football and matters on the field play second fiddle. Could someone on the organising committee not have talked some sense into whoever runs the show?
I mean, a seasoned administrator like the former tournament director PJ Williams should also have known better and guided the blind and the deaf to ensure they do justice to the event as it only comes once a year – and clubs are so much looking forward to being part of this spectacle.
This also begs the question…. Was this tournament not brought about to expose the local talent from Cape Town and its surrounds?
This is the one platform where local talent – which there is an abundance of – can impress the scouts from up north and possibly get a contract with some of the glamour clubs like Mamelodi Sundowns.
To think that more than 250 local clubs had to battle it out for over a four-month gruelling qualifying campaign and that for only 12 slots – while certain clubs get a free ride into the event. How fair is that?
The more one thinks about this travesty the more dreadful it rings in the ears. When will the organisers learn from their shortcomings – when?
This is indeed a sad affair and It’s an indictment on the organisers and they should be ashamed of themselves. In fact they owe everyone an apology and swear it will never happen again – ever!
