Freedom Day Football: Cape Town Super 7s

On Freedom Day, the Cape Town Super 7s continued under clearing skies at the Shelley Street Sports Complex, though the effects of earlier heavy rain were still visible as soft pitches forced organisers into a constant balancing act between safety, scheduling, and continuity.

The 10th edition of the tournament was compressed into a single day of fixtures after two days were washed out, placing pressure on surfaces and timing but still allowing organisers to complete key youth finals, including the under-7, under-8, and under-9 divisions.

Salt River Blackpool club secretary Marawaan Kapery said conditions were monitored continuously throughout the day. “We were assessing continuously, and if the field was good to go, we played on them,” Kapery said. “We had to make do with what we had after the weather damage, but the tournament continued.”

Despite initial concerns over attendance due to the weather, Kapery the turnout improved significantly once conditions cleared, as Freedom Day provided a strong public holiday for the event.

“The turnout showed how much the tournament had grown over the years,” Kapery said. “From where we started, we achieved what we set out to do, and that is by giving youngsters a platform to play and develop.”

Freedom Day added broader context to the event, with Kapery highlighting the diversity across participating clubs as a reflection of post-1994 transformation in South African football.

“If you looked at the diversity of the clubs, you have Ubuntu, Hellenic, Vasco da Gama. A coming together of this calibre and kind would never have happened 30 years ago,” he said. “Now you have white, black, coloured and Asian players all playing in the same teams and the camaraderie between them is amazing to see,” Kapery told IOL.

He added that the atmosphere at the tournament reflected how football has become one of the clearest spaces of social integration, with young players interacting freely across community and club lines.

“It is all about sportsmanship and camaraderie,” he said. “You see, boys and girls, respectively, from different backgrounds, hugging, playing together and enjoying the game. That was not possible before, and today it is normal.”

Kapery said that when the girls’ divisions were first introduced three years ago, participation stood at around 20 combined teams across age groups, and has now grown to approximately 20 teams per age group in the under-12, under-14, and under-16 divisions.

“The girls’ game has really come to the forefront over the last few years. It is amazing to see how much it has grown, and it is now a major part of the tournament, and in years to come may even take over the boys. Right now, they are very strong,” Kapery told IOL.

He added that clubs such as Salt River Blackpool, Ubuntu, Santos, Kensington, and Rangersdale have played a key role in driving that development, alongside Western Cape football figure Iqbal Kaskar, whom he described as a strong advocate for the inclusion and promotion of girls’ football. 

Looking ahead, Kapery said Salt River Blackpool’s focus remains on building a stronger development structure and eventually establishing an academy system capable of competing with more established clubs in the province.

“We want to move to the next level. With better coaching structures and more exposure, it can happen. When you move up, more people take notice, and support comes in. That helps the entire club, from juniors to the girls’ teams,” he says.

As the final whistles brought the 10th edition to a close, the Cape Town Super 7s completed its programme in full despite early disruption, with structure and intent intact.

More than a weather-affected tournament, it again reflected steady growth in participation and purpose across Cape Town’s grassroots football landscape. As Freedom Day came to an end, it also marked a clear milestone: the completion of the 10th edition on a significant national day.

The tournament moves forward with a stronger base, wider participation, and a firm place in youth football development across the Western Cape.

IOL