Street soccer goes national

The tournament is set to run over the next few weeks and the winning teams will qualify for the competition's ultimate clash - the National Festival Finale, which will be held on Friday, 14 September in Soweto to determine the 2012 KIA Street Soccer Champion of Champions team.

This year, for the first time, provincial winners from each region competing in the KIA Street Soccer Programme will be flown to Johannesburg for the National Final, said Brad Bing, Managing Director of youth sports development agency Sporting Chance, the event organiser. "Bringing teams together from all the participating regions to play for one trophy [is] a thrilling opportunity for the youth who make it to the finals to experience camaraderie on a national level and the excitement of a national championship final, as well as to see more of their country."

In total, eight hundred teams of six players each have participated in regional leagues since May. Weekly round robin matches have been played leading up to the regional finals, followed by the Provincial finals, to be held from 21 August - 5 September, iAfrica.com reports.

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