Doing something great this Madiba's Day!

67 Matches for Madiba soccer tournament honours Madiba’s legacy – and his love for children.

The power of sport to effect positive change will be under the spotlight this Mandela Day with the staging of #67 Matches for Madiba, a 67-match 5-a-side soccer tournament where all the proceeds raised will be used to benefit children with facial anomalies in need of corrective surgery.
#67 Matches for Madiba, powered by Discovery Soccer Park and sponsored by Octagon Chartered Accountants, takes place on Sunday, 17 July 2016 at Discovery Soccer Park in Sandton, Johannesburg, ahead of international Mandela Day on Monday, 18 July 2016. Technical sponsor KAPPA is making available soccer balls, bibs, kit for the winning team and individual prizes.
The tournament is open to corporate, social and celebrity soccer teams, and will comprise 33 teams, of 8 players each, that will each play 15 minutes a half in a round robin format. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knock-out rounds, with the final two teams battling it out for the main prize of R10 000.
In addition to this cash prize, R10 000 will also be awarded in the name of the winning team to the Smile Foundation, the non-governmental organisation with an holistic healthcare vision for children with facial anomalies that will be facilitating the facial reconstructive surgeries so desperately needed by many South African children.
“With Madiba using sport to fight inequality and unite the Rainbow Nation as a young democracy, it’s only fitting that sport is once again used in his honour to bring about positive change – this time for Mandela Day. We’re delighted to host #67 Matches for Madiba, and that the funds raised will be used to better the lives of South African children, who always had a special place in Madiba’s heart,” says Ryan Kalk, CEO of Discovery Soccer Park.
Headline sponsor, Octagon Chartered Accountants, says its sponsorship of #67 Matches for Madiba is part of its continued commitment to local social upliftment. “Our relationship with the Smile Foundation is a long standing one, and we wholeheartedly support its ongoing contribution to local communities. It was for these reasons we were only too happy to get involved with this worthwhile initiative that not only honours local communities and the fantastic work done by the Smile Foundation, but honours Madiba’s legacy as well. We are privileged to be a part of this great initiative,” says Waldek Wasowicz, partner at Octagon Chartered Accountants.
The Smile Foundation was established at the personal request of Madiba to help a girl to smile again, and has since gone on to assist more than a thousand children by working with the country’s academic hospitals to facilitate free reconstructive facial surgeries.
“Mandela Day invites people to devote 67 minutes of their time – one minute for every year of Madiba’s public service – towards a global movement for good. #67 Matches for Madiba is a fun and exciting way to do just that. The best part is that our country’s children will benefit from this worthy initiative, something that would have made Madiba extremely proud,” says Hedley Lewis, Executive Director Smile Foundation, of which Nelson Mandela is the chief patron.
Registrations are open for those wishing to participate in #67 Matches for Madiba. Entries cost R 2500 per team. Interested corporates, celebrities and social soccer teams can go to www.67matches.co.za to secure their spot in this memorable Mandela Day initiative.