Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
SOCCO Golden Stars FC, the face of Manicaland social soccer, justified their eminence by outsmarting rivals to lift the Nato at Three Cup in Gweru last weekend.
The tournament, held at Gweru Sports Club and Gweru Hospital Grounds respectively, brought together Harare-based Americans, hosts, Nato Legends, Medical Stars of Gweru, BuyCar of Zvishavane, Harare’s PanJap, Busters, and Shurugwi Legends.
The Mutare-based outfit, comprising mainly former football stars who played at the highest domestic level, won the finals 5-4 against Nato Legends FC after the match had ended 0-0.
In the group stages, Socco Golden Stars edged Medical Stars 1-0, and then beat Busters 3-2.
Socco Golden Stars concluded their group stage campaign with a 1-0 victory over Americans.
The team’s financier, Ruramai Nyakonga, expressed gratitude to the organisers of the Gweru competition and to his team for creating an unforgettable football experience.
“It was a good, entertaining game of football for us and all other participants. We are grateful to the players and the crew behind the scenes for putting up a splendid tournament. We learnt a lot, and we are indeed thankful for the networking opportunity as well as the idea of kicking out drugs from our community through soccer,” he said.
Recently, Mutare Sports Club was abuzz with activity as hundreds of people gathered to celebrate Socco Golden Stars’ first anniversary.
As one of the most organised social soccer teams in Mutare, Socco Golden Stars has elevated health and wellness among adults.
Their anniversary tournament featured matches between Socco Golden Stars and Harare’s Americans, as well as Panjap and Igwe Stars.
Panjap ultimately won against Socco Golden Stars on penalties in the semi-finals, while Americans defeated Igwe Stars 1-0.
