Limpopo’s top football clubs have been handed an ideal opportunity to fine-tune their preparations for the 2026/27 campaign through the newly launched Mafori Cup, which will take place at Seshego Stadium outside Polokwane on Saturday, July 25.
The one-day pre-season tournament brings together four of the province’s leading clubs, including Betway Premiership sides Sekhukhune United and Polokwane City, newly relegated Magesi FC, and Motsepe Foundation Championship outfit Venda Football Club.
With the Betway Premiership season kicking off just a week later, the tournament is expected to provide coaches with a valuable opportunity to assess their squads, test new combinations and build momentum before competitive action begins.
The semi-final draw has produced two exciting fixtures. Polokwane City will lock horns with Sekhukhune United at 9am in an all-Betway Premiership clash, while Venda Football Club will battle Magesi FC at 11am in an all-Motsepe Foundation Championship encounter.
The two winners will advance to the final scheduled for 3pm. Tournament organisers have confirmed that there will be no extra time, with any drawn match being decided immediately by a penalty shootout.
Apart from the prestige of becoming the inaugural Mafori Cup champions, the winning team will receive the trophy, gold medals and R250,000 in prize money. The runners-up will walk away with R150,000 and silver medals, while each losing semi-finalist will receive R100,000.
The tournament is sponsored by Mafori Group as the title sponsor, with additional support from Romans Pizza, MoFlair as the official apparel and technical sponsor, Shine Bright Entertainment and the Polokwane Municipality, which is hosting the event at Seshego Stadium.
Tickets cost R50 and are available online through the Mafori Group and Mafori Tickets websites, as well as at Mafori Group branches in Polokwane, Mokopane, Groblersdal, Thohoyandou and Tzaneen.
Organisers believe the Mafori Cup has the potential to become one of Limpopo’s flagship football events, providing high-quality pre-season competition while promoting local talent and giving supporters an opportunity to watch the province’s best clubs compete before the start of the new campaign.