Johannesburg, 29 November 2021: The weekend of 27-28 November 2021 was an extremely memorable one for a group of local South African children, who otherwise might not be able to access proper football facilities. The Accelerate Futbol Social Team, powered by CMTrading took part in the Fives Soccer School Legends 5v5 tournament, with the talented U10 and U12 boys excelling at the fun-filled soccer weekend in Cape Town’s picturesque Camps Bay.

Local international broker, CMTrading decided to give back to the community by bringing soccer and smiles to the two teams of talented youngsters from the Accelerate Futbol Social Team. And overall, these players in the U10 and U12 divisions performed exceptionally well in the Legends 5v5.

CMTrading’s brand ambassador and South Africa’s highest-ranking UFC fighter, Dricus Du Plessis, joined the boys to share a few words of encouragement from a fellow sportsman, and hosted vital life sessions with the boys. It was a hard-fought tournament but the boys did their supporters proud, winning the U10 tournament and making it to the quarter finals in the U12 division.  

U10s – Big talent, bigger hearts

The weekend kicked off with the under-10 group taking to the field. Spectators were amazed by the sheer level of talent and professionalism these boys displayed on the pitch. The Accelerate Futbol team easily defeated their rivals during the knockout rounds and went on to win their first tournament spectacularly, dominating rivals SuperSport United with a phenomenal 6 –2 score.

Matches:

Accelerate Futbol vs Icon School - 0-0

Accelerate Futbol vs Ballers - 4-1

Accelerate Futbol vs Nitros FC - 7-0

Accelerate Futbol vs Legends 2 - 7-0

Accelerate Futbol vs Marvel - 6-0

Accelerate Futbol vs Ballers - 5-2

Accelerate Futbol vs SSUSS - 6-2

“We had a lot of fun”

Zack, one of the talented under 10s, said: “It was so cool that we won. We beat them all and we had a lot of fun. Thank you to the coaches and CMTrading.”

Qiyam Watson, Head Coach at Accelerate Futbol, said: "We started the tournament a bit slow and drew 0-0 in our first match. As the tournament went on, we did incredibly well – 6-0, 7-1, and 8-0.

“We progressed to the quarter-finals at 6-0; semis were 5-2, and in the final game, we won by 6-2. We are very proud of our boys. We had a lot of other parents come up to us and congratulate us for our behaviour both on and off the field. 

“They conducted themselves well. It was commended by the tournament organisers. A huge thank to CMTrading for backing our boys."

All for a good cause

In an extremely generous and touching gesture, the team elected to donate their prize of R3630 to a less fortunate team. 

U12s – courage under fire 

The U12 team displayed great talent and sportsmanship throughout a tough weekend. From calling shots to pulling off high-level tactics that wouldn’t have been out of place at Old Trafford or Barcelona, the boys entertained crowds with their performances. The initial matches were hard-fought but the Accelerate Futbol triumphed over most of their rivals.

Sadly, the boys faced an incredibly difficult opponent during their fourth match, which dashed their hopes of winning the tournament.

Matches: 

Accelerate Futbol vs YHW Green - 1-0

Accelerate Futbol vs Legends 3 - 2-0

Accelerate Futbol vs SSUSS - 0-0

Accelerate Futbol vs Salt River 2 - 4-0

Accelerate Futbol vs Island Warriors - 2-0

Sabrie, one of the U12 players, says: “Unfortunately we lost in the quarter-finals. But we were very excited to play and even though we lost, we had a lot of fun. Thank you CMTrading.”

Giving back to the community

Zihaad Israel, CMTrading South Africa Regional Manager, comments:

“We started this initiative to afford kids the opportunity to play in football tournaments that they might not otherwise be able to participate in. It’s all about giving these kids this chance to develop their skills and ultimately grow to become the leaders they can be in South Africa – and have fun doing so!

“An incredibly touching moment was seeing the team proudly wearing their black tracksuit tops on the pitch; these were made at the last minute by a small business comprising a group of local women, who worked tirelessly from their home in Mitchells Plain. We offered these enterprising women the opportunity to create these uniforms for the boys while supporting small businesses in South Africa”.

SA UFC fighter backing the boys

Dricus Du Plessis’ attendance proved incredibly valuable for the boys as they were able to pick the SA EFC champion’s brain and receive words of encouragement.

Du Plessis said: “Well done to the U10 team. You made us all proud. To the U12s, you guys played your hearts out and win or lose, we support you all the way. Go Accelerate Futbol!”

Israel concludes, "Well done boys! The Accelerate Futbol social soccer teams displayed amazing sportsmanship both on and off the pitch. We'd like to thank Legends for hosting us, Dricus for inspiring the boys, and the amazing ladies who created the stylish black tracksuits for these children”. 

For more information on CMTrading, visit their official website at www.cmtrading.com or call +27105008026, and one of their friendly staff will assist you. Watch the press for more updates on the CMTrading Accelerate Futbol social soccer team.