Koës Pan Rally Tourney Spoils Shared

Soccer
Otis Daniels
  • 18 Hours Ago
There was no love lost on the pitch, with One Love FC from Mariental and United Stars FC from Aroab sharing the spoils after playing a goalless final in the Koës Pan Rally Soccer Tournament.



With sunlight fading fast, referee Moses Marcus suggested that the two finalists share the N$10 000 winner’s cash prize equally and that the captains toss for the floating trophy, rather than hold a penalty shootout in the rapidly diminishing light at Koës. The tournament organiser, Queen Boois, agreed, and the two team captains tossed for the trophy, with each team pocketing N$5 000. Rivaldo Gawanab, the captain of One Love, won the toss, meaning his team will hold onto the trophy for six months before handing it over to United Stars.



One Love defeated Weekend Special 3-0, and United Stars beat the defending champions and local favourites, Young Bafana, 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in the semi-final round of the competition. The two losing semi-finalists each took home N$2 500. Fifteen teams from Amperbo (one), Aroab (two), Goagas (six), Keetmanshoop (two), Koës (two), and Mariental (two) competed in this year’s event, which is hosted every two years and runs concurrently with the Koës Pan Rally.



Penalty shootouts dominated the quarter-final round, with Young Bafana defeating United Stars 4-2, United Stars overcoming Bush Workers 5-4, and Tom and Jerry beating Weekend Special 4-2. One Love thrashed Hungry Lions 5-0 in their quarter-final match. The Koës Rally Soccer Tournament started in 2021 with 17 teams and a prize pot of N$20 000. The tournament caters for social teams and also accommodates league-playing sides. Date Eleven FC won the tournament in 2023.



“Rickus Vermeulen, the owner of Agri-Koës, is our sole sponsor. There is a lot of alcohol and drug abuse happening in our communities in the South. The aim is to keep the youngsters busy and promote a healthy lifestyle. We want to continue growing the tournament and one day host an event with N$50 000 in prize money on offer,” Boois said.