De Beers AFC is on the rise, celebrating its junior teams’ promotion to Premier 1 in the Cape Town-Tygerberg LFA.
The significant milestone marks the culmination of dedicated effort under the leadership of junior chairperson Junaid Roopnarain, club chairperson Gerald Bez and the club’s management team.
Roopnarain, who has served in various roles in the running of the club since 2010, coaches the under-14 and under-16 teams and has steered the junior club toward ambitious new goals, including its recent ascent from Premier 2.
“In the role as junior chairperson, the main goal was to get us into Premier 1,” he said. “We’ve been stuck in Premier 2 for a while, and the potential was always here. Achieving this promotion is a testament to the hard work of every player, coach and volunteer at the club.”
The club boasts a robust structure, catering for players from under-7 right up to under-18, and the results on the field are starting to show. “A key highlight has been establishing a good coaching structure and seeing our player registration numbers increase across the board,” Roopnarain added.
The younger teams have delivered an impressive string of results this season, showcasing the depth of talent at De Beers.
The under-12s had a stellar run, finishing a close second in the league, just one point shy of the top spot.
The under-14s celebrated by winning the Plate section in the inaugural Helderberg Champions Cup 2025. They also reached the cup final of both the Cape Town Tygerberg Cup and the prestigious Kaapstad Cup, where they faced off against powerhouse Cape Town Spurs in the final at Athlone Stadium.
The under-16s made a strong statement by reaching the semi-finals of the Kaapstad Cup and the finals of the George Cup 2025 in the local LFA Tournament.
The under-18s secured a significant title, winning the Cape Town Tygerberg Cup. They are currently focused on preparations for the highly-regarded Bayhill Cup, where they also performed well last year.
The minis (under-7 to under-11) have not been left out, with numerous teams reaching finals and securing strong results, reflecting the high number of young registrants.
“These results aren’t accidents; they reflect the quality of our training and the hunger of our players,” Roopnarain observed. “We’re generating great momentum from the youngest age groups right up to the under-18s.”
With the season complete aside from a few tournament matches, the club is already looking ahead. Bayhill Cup preparations are underway.
The move to Premier 1, however, brings new challenges. “We are now up against some big teams and we need to up our game,” said Roopnarain. This means increasing training days and aggressively seeking external sponsorships.
“We draw from a big pool of players from underprivileged areas,” he explained. “Finances are tight, and areas such as transportation and registration fees need help. We want to attract more players and, critically, more sponsors.”
Looking ahead, Roopnarain also voiced an ambition to expand. “While we’re focused on strengthening our junior leagues a major goal for the club is to eventually start a women’s team.”
๏ฎ Dates for trials for the new season will be announced soon, so keep an eye on the De Beers AFC on social media or send an email to [email protected] for more information.
You must be logged in to post a comment.