The clash took place at the Nike Football Training Centre in Pimville, Soweto under the watchful eye of Phala, the SuperSport United and Bafana Bafana midfielder. His coach at United, Cavin Johnson, also graced the occasion.
Cameroon had qualified for the final after beating semi-finalists Barcenal FC 2-0, while Impala booked their place with a 6-5 victory on penalties over Glen United after both sides were deadlocked at two goals apiece.
Barcenal took third place as they won 1-0 against United. Tokelo Mojaki of Pimville Cameroon was selected Player of the Tournament.
“It is a great honour for me to be associated with this event and to see my football hero in person. To be crowned Player of the Tournament is a bonus, it was just great taking part, more so as it was the first time we all played in this tournament. This accolade has given me hope that with more work I can perhaps achieve my dream of playing in the big leagues, so I would like to say thank you to Thuso Phala for providing this platform for all of us who took part," said Mojaki.
His teammate Mandla Xwazi walked away with the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award.
The Thuso Phala Soccer Challenge kicked off on May 17 in various townships in Soweto.
It was staged in partnership with the Soweto Football Association (SFA) in an effort to create a football development platform that will afford young and upcoming players an opportunity to nurture and enhance their football skills. The intention is to inspire them to become professional football players.
“This was a dream come true for me. As a young boy growing up in Soweto I have always looked up to former players for inspiration, and I hope with this tournament I will also inspire these young boys to reach greater heights,” said Phala.
"I have seen some amazing talent on display since the start of the tournament a month ago, and I am confident that some of them will be snapped up by professional teams – and I would have done a great job. This is the first year of the tournament and next year we can expect a bigger and better event. My gratitude goes out to all who made this happen and most importantly to the players who came here to showcase their skills.”
The finals took place on Youth Day, June 16.
"It is important to note that this event takes place in June, the Youth Month in South Africa. It is also for us, as an Association, a clear indication that we want to raise awareness to all the kids who play here about the importance of the day. You might have seen some of the school children were wearing uniform in the stands, which is a way of helping them to not forget what happened in this country many years ago,” said SAFA Soweto chairman Phil Mogodi.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Thuso for the vision he has by looking back where he comes from, and helping those walking in his footsteps by saying I also started here.“
The tournament will be held annually and more teams are expected to take part next year.
