KickOff has learned that there is a new mid-season tournament in the pipeline, including Marumo Gallants, Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns.
Gallants' relocation to Free State has revived football festivities in the province. Bafana Bafana hosted Zimbabwe in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in June and won 3-1.
After undergoing structural changes and adopting the identity of Bloemfontein Celtic, the side has received government and business support to revive football culture and promote the spirit of sport.
At a meeting held by Siwelele Sa Marumo over the weekend at Dr. Molemela Stadium, attended by prominent dignitaries such as Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae and Mangaung Executive Mayor Gregory Nthatisi, prominent businessman Ben Moseme made a presentation on the agenda.
The minutes on this website show that Moseme, the Executive Chairman of C-Squared, the company that organized Mangaung Cultural Festival (Macufe), "informed the meeting that he wants to work with [the] Siwelele family to promote [the] development of Sport and particularly to revive the spirit of Celtic that has never died."
Next month in Mangaung, Moseme announced they will launch a new tournament called the Cultural Urban Festival Africa (Cufa) Cup, in which Free State teams Gallants, Mangaung United, and D'General will participate, along with Chiefs and Sundowns.
It was also discussed that the Cufa Cup would be launched in Mangaung next month. Moseme wanted us to be part of this exciting opportunity, where this cup would travel as far as Nigeria and Ghana, according to the minutes of the Gallants meeting.
As part of its entertainment offerings, C-squared organizes Cufa music festivals and comedy shows.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Amakhosi and Downs played in a mid-season friendly tournament called the Shell Helix Ultra Cup.
A curtain-raiser match was played between the club's legends and their Bloemfontein Celtic counterparts when Chiefs hosted the pre-season Toyota Cup against Young Africans at Free State Stadium in July.
