Governor’s Cup playoff continues

By MELTON PAIS
The playoffs in the annual NCD Governor’s Christmas Cup started yesterday and will continue at the weekend.
Since the tournament had 54 teams contesting for the K20,000 prize money, officials decided to start the finals early yesterday.
Tournament director Bosky Koke confirmed that the first eight teams in the cup division had their first games yesterday and second group in the cup division will have theirs today.
He said only the top two leading teams in each of the eight pools — which mean 16 teams qualify for the cup play off.
“The winner of the cup division will advance to the semi-finals while losing team will fall back to play in the plate division,” he said.
The third team in each pool will have their playoffs in the bowl division.
In the first game yesterday at Kone Tigers Oval, City Redbacks secured their first semifinal spot with 7-6 win against D8 Mosquitoes in a game that could have gone either way.
With the scores locked at 6-6 after 60 minutes of fascinating and structured football, a field goal by Redbacks centre Ezra Gada in extra time ended the Mosquitoes’ hopes.
Redbacks five-eighth Benton Leme stepped up to manage his side well but they still had some anxious moments after handing back possession at the restart.
Coach Donald Maki was satisfied that Redbacks won but conceded that it was a tough battle.
“It was still anybody’s game till the golden point minutes when the field goal was taken,” he said.