Simola XI crowned industrial champs

KNYSNA FOOTBALL NEWS - Simola's soccer team was crowned winners of the very first KLFA Industrial League on Monday 22 July, thanks to a victory over SAPS that saw them go beyond the reach of second-placed Food Lover's Market.

Before March this year, Knysna Local Football Association (KLFA) had no formal league structure in place for the industrial soccer teams in and around Knysna, despite there being leagues for the clubs as well as masters (over 35s).

This meant companies who had soccer teams had to rely solely on tournaments and cups such as the KLFA Easter and Oyster tournaments to earn silverware.

That all changed in March, however, when the very first KLFA Industrial League kicked off with nine sides from Knysna companies and associations taking part. These sides were Simola, Food Lover's Market, SA Police Service (SAPS), Knysna Saints, African Stars, Retail, Try Again, Ghana Knysna, and Taxi Drivers.

The league would be played over the next four months, with each side to play 16 matches with a total of 144 matches scheduled. It soon became evident that the title would become contested by three teams – Simola, Food Lover's, and Taxi Drivers. The three sides would consistently make up the top three on the log, but eventually it became a two-horse race between Simola and Food Lover's with the league title coming down to a match between Simola and SAPS on Monday 22 July.

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Heading into the game the equation was simple for Simola: win and secure the league, or draw or lose, and Food Lover's can win the league with only a draw in the game to follow against Taxi Drivers. Simola went into their clash a determined outfit, and took the lead relatively early on thanks to a mistake from the SAPS goalkeeper.

Simola would bag two more goals in the first half as they began to take control of the game, heading into halftime 3-0 ahead. Even though they would concede two more goals in the second half, they scored two of their own to put the league to bed with a 5-2 victory. By virtue of the fact that this was the the first KLFA Industrial League, Simola became the first team to win KLFA's domestic industrial treble, as they had won the Easter and Oyster Festival tournaments earlier this year.

Food Lover's would finish their league on a high with a 2-0 victory over Taxi Drivers, but with a final points tally of 37 they fell two points shy of Simola who ended on 39 points thanks to 12 wins and three draws.

Read a previous article here: Simola wins inaugural Industrial League

Simola celebrates with the trophy after securing the league title thanks to a win over SAPS.