The Knysna outfit came out on top there by a score of 5-4. A 1-0 win for FC United against Infantry set up an all-Knysna final. The rivalry between Knysna’s Regional League sides is always tense and never fails to serve up an entertaining spectacle.
FC United goalkeeper Sive Bangani plucks the ball out of the air. Photos: Blake Linder
Local soccer club FC United came out trumps at the end of the Safa Eden Nedbank Cup playoffs last weekend, beating Knysna rivals CX Celtics in the final.
The competition was hosted by the Knysna Local Football Association (KLFA) on Saturday and Sunday, 23 and 24 October, with matches spread out between Hornlee, Loerie Park and Sedgefield.
With the addition of Safa Eden Regional League playoffs victors Red Eagles to the two finalists, Knysna was represented by a total of three sides while Plettenberg Bay was solely represented by Oriented Birds (OBI).
The competition is a part of the first step in the ladder that leads to the Nedbank Cup proper, which is competed by 16 Premier Soccer League clubs, eight National First Division teams, as well as eight teams from the amateur ranks of SA soccer.
The Safa Eden Nedbank Cup playoffs saw the 16 clubs facing off on Saturday, in a winner-takes-all format.
Red Eagles won their first match 3-1 against United Brothers, CX Celtics dispatched Moonlight 5-1, OBI beat Paris United 4-1, and FC United beat Simunye 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 scoreline at full time. In the quarter-finals, OBI beat newcomers Red Eagles 3-0, CX Celtics beat Peacemakers by the same margin, and FC United beat Eastern City 2-0.
The semi-finals pitted CX Celtics and OBI against one another, and a 1-1 scoreline at full time meant another penalty shootout was needed.
Anele Niyake (yellow) cuts back inside for CX Celtics while a Moonlight defender leaps to block a cross.
The Knysna outfit came out on top there by a score of 5-4. A 1-0 win for FC United against Infantry set up an all-Knysna final. The rivalry between Knysna’s Regional League sides is always tense and never fails to serve up an entertaining spectacle.
While CX Celtics undoubtedly battled hard against FC United, who were the runners-up in the 2020/21 Safa Eden Regional League, they were no match for them. FC United emerged victorious by a score of 3-1 to see them progress to the next round of qualification for the Nedbank Cup.