Mopani Hollywoodbets champions Hlahla Northern Bucks FC
Hlahla Northern Bucks were crowned Mopani SAB League Champ of Champs winners after a commanding 3-1 victory over Gawula Classic in the tournament’s decisive final match at Giyani Stadium on Sunday.
The Molototsi Stream champions sealed their place in the Limpopo Inter-Regional Playoffs, where they will represent Mopani District in the race for promotion to the ABC Motsepe League. Two teams from the inter-regional playoffs will earn promotion.
Five stream champions battled for district supremacy in a round-robin tournament played over two days. The competing clubs were Hlahla Northern Bucks (Molototsi Stream), Gawula Classic (Zebras Stream), Bakgaga United (Tropical Stream), MJM Hotspurs (Marula Stream), and FC Rellen (Baobab Stream).
The competition got off to an entertaining start on Saturday, with Gawula Classic fighting back to rescue a 1-1 draw against FC Rellen. Hlahla Northern Bucks opened their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Bakgaga United before FC Rellen suffered another narrow defeat, losing 1-0 to MJM Hotspurs.
Gawula Classic then produced one of the performances of the tournament with a convincing 3-0 victory over Bakgaga United, while MJM Hotspurs handed Hlahla Northern Bucks their only defeat of the competition, winning 2-1 in the final match of the day.
Sunday’s programme was overshadowed by the failure of FC Rellen and Bakgaga United to honour their remaining fixtures. Hlahla Northern Bucks were awarded a 2-0 walkover victory over FC Rellen, while MJM Hotspurs also received a 2-0 win against Bakgaga United.
On the field, Gawula Classic boosted their title hopes with an impressive 3-1 victory over MJM Hotspurs, setting up a winner-takes-all clash against Hlahla Northern Bucks.
With the title on the line, Hlahla Northern Bucks delivered when it mattered most, defeating Gawula Classic 3-1 to finish level on nine points with their rivals before edging the standings on goal difference.
The victory crowned Hlahla Northern Bucks as Mopani’s champions and earned them the right to represent the district in the Inter-Regional Playoffs, where promotion to the ABC Motsepe League is now firmly within reach.