Richards Bay FC marked the official reopening of the refurbished Umhlathuze Sports Complex in style, clinching the 2025 KZN Premier’s Cup title with a narrow 1-0 win over Durban City in Sunday’s final.
It was a historic first for the Natal Rich Boyz, who have never lifted the pre-season trophy before and fittingly did so on home soil, signalling their intent ahead of the new Betway Premiership campaign.
The two-day tournament not only served as a curtain-raiser to the upcoming season but also celebrated the revamped facilities in northern KwaZulu-Natal, which the Bay will now call home throughout 2025/26.
Their path to glory included overcoming Midlands in the semi-final, before seeing off a determined Durban City side who had earlier stunned AmaZulu in dramatic fashion.
Usuthu were knocked out in agonising fashion, conceding a late goal to lose 3-2 in an end-to-end semi-final that could have gone either way. Despite the result, assistant coach Siboniso Vilakazi was content with the side’s progress.
“From our side, we’re very excited by what we’ve seen, especially from the youngsters. We wanted to play more than one game so that every player gets an opportunity to play,” Vilakazi said.
He added that the tournament was vital preparation ahead of their MTN8 quarter-final: “We’re working towards our MTN8 match next week as well as the start of the new season.
“We have a way forward with a lot of players having left the club, some returning from loan, and others arriving. So for us, this was a successful experience and we’re pleased with what we’ve done here.”
Arrows, meanwhile, were bundled out early after a 3-2 quarter-final defeat to AmaZulu in a fiercely contested derby. Despite the result, assistant coach Musa Bilankulu praised the application of his players, particularly the new recruits adapting to their tactical approach.
“In terms of our preparations for the game, we expected it to be tough in all areas — on and off the ball. The players stuck to the tactical agreements we had prior to the game and I was even more impressed with the new signings,” said Bilankulu.
While the day belonged to Richards Bay, the tournament offered valuable insight into the readiness of KZN’s top sides before the competitive action resumes in August.
For coach Ronnie Gabriel and his team, lifting silverware on home turf could just be the spark needed for a season to remember.
