Where did the Eastern Cape Soccer Challenge funds go?

Port Elizabeth – An investigation is to be launched into what happened to funding for the high-profile Eastern Cape Soccer Challenge, which was called off on Monday .

The tournament, which started on January 21, featured overseas teams Kosice from Slovakia and FC Moscow from Russia, and top South African teams.

It failed despite the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality and Eastern Cape Tourism Board injecting almost R3-million into the event.

Mandela Bay municipal spokesman Kupido Baron said the municipality would investigate the matter.

“We are going to conduct a forensic investigation to check where the money went.”

Baron said the soccer challenge had failed because the company GA Sport Service International relied “too much” on ticket sales and the sponsorship. It had failed to attract other sponsors and had very poor crowd support.

The organisers received R2-million from the Eastern Cape Tourism Board and R850000 from the municipality.

He said the company had gone ahead with the tournament having sponsorship of close to R3-million.

“But the costs for the tournament were more than R7-million.

“It also failed because of lack of proper management on the company‘s side. As a result, the municipality is sitting with a problem.”

Baron said the municipality had received all the necessary reports they had asked for to check the legitimacy of the company.

“We had all the correct answers. The idea they had of having international companies, is still exceptionally good.” Baron said the company had to generate money for the winning teams.

“The company was supposed to come up with the money. The first prize for the tournament was supposed to be R350 000 and the second prize would have been R150 000.”

Bay United spokesman Vuyo Mvoko said the team was disappointed, but not surprised. – The Herald