Mitchells Plain LFA soccer boss Gilbert Kruger has lauded Rock-A-Fellas for their “exemplary football attitude” which subsequently resulted in their under 18’s winning the inaugural Mitchells Plain Youth Cup at the Stephen Reagan Sportsfield in Westridge Mitchells Plain on Sunday.
Just last week Rock-A-Fellas lost an arbitration case against Rebels FC in the Coke Cup competition but this did not deter them one bit.
The winner of this case was two rounds away from the final at the Athlone Stadium. Unfortunately the latter won the case but lost 1-3 to Antalyaspor JPM Cape Town in the semifinal of this cup competition.
Rock-A-Fellas’ coach Nino Solomons admitted that this was a killer blow for the players.
“Their dreams were shattered because their dream was to play in the Coke Cup final,” Solomons explained to No Bones with Jones. “And they said at the beginning of the season already to me ‘coach we are going to play in the final’. And they are a very talented squad, you know. I think 70 percent of the squad are still first years and for the last two or three years I’ve coached that same squad – the under 14’s and under 16’s.
“It’s unexplainable how talented those youngsters are. But I’m sure one day some of them will fully reach a higher level and play in the PSL or NFD or even Europe, you know. When we lost the case we told them – listen guys what’s done, is done and it is what it is. We made peace with it and we moved on. They (our players) didn’t know what was lying in store for them. They won the league, got automatic qualification for the Bayhill Cup and now this…,” Solomons added.
The recent hat trick of success is a testament to their commitment and the professional manner in which they conduct their business despite the adversity they had to overcome. Their latest feat, the Mitchells Plain Youth Cup success, earned them a winners’ trophy, an MTN gift bag, and R15,000 in cash with the runner-up, Milano, bagging R5,000, while the Plate Section winners, Stanturf FC walked away with R2,000. The Plate Section runners-up, Ikapa, earned R1,000.
Mind you, Rock-A_Fellas is also one of the very few that has a proper media liaison officer in Riaan Johnson who is also the deputy chairman.
According to Kruger the club’s executive has done a fantastic job administratively, definitely turning the club around.
“Yes, definitely I believe that the change in attitude of their leadership and commitment towards the LFA was very positive and this filtered down on the club’s members with a very positive attitude and commitment of cooperation allround, “Kruger stated.
Executive Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis placed the cherry on the cake when he surprised the Player of the Tournament, an emotional Tabiso Mzalisi with a new pair of Jordan Air sneakers for his efforts.
