The Free State Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation in partnership with the Setsoto Local Municipality will host the second annual Motlalepula Ntsala Football Tournament. This tournament is held to pay homage to the life of a young, talented and aspirant soccer player who was a learner at the Boitumelo Secondary School in Meqheleng, Ficksburg.
Motlalepula Nstale passed away during the hosting of the 32 Schools Mini Soccer World Cup in 2010. The Schools Mini World Cup was held as part of the department’s build up towards the 2010 Soccer World Cup hosted in South Africa and to invoke a sense of enthusiasm amongst young and aspirant soccer players ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
The incident that involved Motlalepula and another player was unexpected and tragic. It is within this context that the department initiated the Motlalepula Ntsala Football Tournament keep his memory alive and to present other young soccer players with the opportunity hone the skills and showcase their talent in honour of Motlalepula’s life.
A total of 15 secondary schools from 4 towns that constitute the Setsoto Municipality will take part in the tournament. The tournament will take place over a period of 5 weeks culminating in the finals to be held on June 16, 2012.
The elimination tournament games are as follows:
| Week | Place | Date | Venue |
| Week 1 | Ficksburg | 26/05/2012 | Ficksburg Stadium |
| Week 2 | Clocolan | 01/05/2012 | Clocolan Stadium |
| Week 3 | Marquard | 02/06/2012 | Marquard Stadium |
| Week 4 | Senekal | 09/06/2012 | Senekal Stadium |
The finals, inclusive of the semi-finals, will be played as follows:
Date: 16 June 2012
Venue: Ficksburg Stadium
Time: 09h00
The department remains committed to the development of sport in our schools and continues to provide equipment and infrastructure in this regard.
The safety and well-being of all participants in the tournament will be a high priority as we strive to promote good sportsmanship and fair play in our sport activities. This will be epitomised by the availability of a medical doctor on standby during the games; an ambulance and emergency medical services personnel and physiotherapists on site.
The following Awards will be awarded to winning teams after the tournament: Medals (Gold, Silver and Medal); Floating Trophy; Player of the Tournament Trophy; Goalkeeper of the Tournament Trophy.
