It's about passion, not paychecks, says Premier Cup organisers

The 36th edition of the annual under-19 Bayhill Premier Cup lived up to its reputation as a tournament of note, a platform for young soccer players to showcase their skill and an opportunity for fresh talent to emerge.

Ubuntu Football Academy’s class of 2025 flew the flag for the Mother City, beating Randburg FC 2-0 in the championship final, at Erica Park, Belhar, on Monday.

As per usual, this year’s edition kicked off at Erica Park, in Belhar, last Wednesday, with the official opening match on Good Friday, April 18.

In what has become customary, fans that packed the venue were treated to a dazzling display of fireworks on and off the pitch - from the pyrotechnics that lit up the skies above Erica Park to sparks of footballing brilliance on display throughout the three-day spectacle.

Cape Town Spurs' 3-0 win against Namibia’s CBS Talents was just what the doctor ordered on opening night.

Arguably the biggest youth soccer tournament on the continent, it’s understandable that staging an event of this magnitude requires a huge amount of co-ordination and planning, but thankfully, many hands make light work, says tournament director Rayaan Allie, who has been running the show since 2022.

Considering the lack of a title sponsor, Allie and co, along with various stakeholders, have had to resort to creative and practical measures to ensure a successful event.

“We are a community-based, community-driven tournament built on passion, not paychecks,” he said.

However, as with any big event, he said, covering costs and adhering to all legal requirements, is essential. 

“Ticket sales are always a challenge for us as we are limited to a small number of patrons at Erica Park since the City of Cape Town introduced and enforced a policy which dictates the capacity of a particular venue and other safety regulations,” he said

“However, we managed to sell out all our tickets at Erica Park for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with Wednesday and Sunday being a bit slower,” he said.

“At Athlone stadium, we managed over 6 000 ticket sales which is less than previous years but still a lot more than a local professional match,” Allie said.

Much like football strategy, he said, success is the result of team work, which in this case comprises 20 people on its LOC, 26 people on the planning committee and around 308 staffers of which 225 are volunteers. 

“It's interesting that 80% of our volunteers have eight years of BPC tournament experience,” he said.

“Having to manage such a big workforce requires a lot of reliance on other senior members to ensure tasks are done efficiently. The human resources management and logistics over the six days is quite challenging, but we manage,” he said.