Premier Soccer League general manager for football Derek Blanckensee is hoping that Eastern Cape soccer lovers will come out in their numbers to support the semis of the inaugural Diski Challenge.
The semis – scheduled for Sunday at the Wolfson Stadium in Kwazakhele, Port Elizabeth – will see University of Pretoria collide with SuperSport United at 10am while Black Aces will square off against Sundowns two hours later.
According to Blackensee, the maiden version of this initiative was “absolutely a success”. The Diski Challenge started last September with 16 teams which are representative of the Premier Division vying for the ultimate prize. There are only four left now but come Sunday afternoon, another two will fall.
It is the first time that the Challenge comes to the Eastern Cape. Unfortunately a club representing the province – Chippa United – is no longer in the running. “It is not about that but our plan from the get go was to move this around to as many areas around the country as we could,” Blackensee said.
“I mean we have been to Kimberly in the Northern Cape even they do not have a team that took part in the Challenge. Football lovers of the Eastern Cape, particularly around Wolfson, who are not exposed to regular football of this kind will have the experience of their lifetime this weekend, free of charge.”
The objective of the Challenge, spearheaded by PSL in partnership with SuperSport TV, was to give young players an opportunity and exposure to play at the highest level and to keep PSL first team fringe players active.
Blackensee believes they have achieved this in this very first season of the competition, with the likes of PE-born Khanyisa Mayo who played in the colours of Chippa United in the Challenge having signed with SuperSport United.
Mayo is the son of PSL legend and former defender and striker Patrick Mayo who played for SuperSport, among other clubs.
“We are surely getting the results we were looking for because there is a reasonable number of youngsters who were seen first in this competition and have since signed with PSL first teams,” Blackensee said.
He admitted that they had challenges when the competition started as no one was used to the idea and they were hoping season two would kickoff with a bang.
The final will take place on February 28 in Soweto with the winner walking away with a trophy, gold medals and an eight-day football trip to Netherlands.
Diski Challenge in debut visit to Eastern Cape
The semis – scheduled for Sunday at the Wolfson Stadium in Kwazakhele, Port Elizabeth – will see University of Pretoria collide with SuperSport United at 10am while Black Aces will square off against Sundowns two hours later.
According to Blackensee, the maiden version of this initiative was “absolutely a success”. The Diski Challenge started last September with 16 teams which are representative of the Premier Division vying for the ultimate prize. There are only four left now but come Sunday afternoon, another two will fall.
It is the first time that the Challenge comes to the Eastern Cape. Unfortunately a club representing the province – Chippa United – is no longer in the running. “It is not about that but our plan from the get go was to move this around to as many areas around the country as we could,” Blackensee said.
“I mean we have been to Kimberly in the Northern Cape even they do not have a team that took part in the Challenge. Football lovers of the Eastern Cape, particularly around Wolfson, who are not exposed to regular football of this kind will have the experience of their lifetime this weekend, free of charge.”
The objective of the Challenge, spearheaded by PSL in partnership with SuperSport TV, was to give young players an opportunity and exposure to play at the highest level and to keep PSL first team fringe players active.
Blackensee believes they have achieved this in this very first season of the competition, with the likes of PE-born Khanyisa Mayo who played in the colours of Chippa United in the Challenge having signed with SuperSport United.
Mayo is the son of PSL legend and former defender and striker Patrick Mayo who played for SuperSport, among other clubs.
“We are surely getting the results we were looking for because there is a reasonable number of youngsters who were seen first in this competition and have since signed with PSL first teams,” Blackensee said.
He admitted that they had challenges when the competition started as no one was used to the idea and they were hoping season two would kickoff with a bang.
The final will take place on February 28 in Soweto with the winner walking away with a trophy, gold medals and an eight-day football trip to Netherlands.
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