Walkovers as never before in FA Cup history
Dhammika Guruge, Chief Operating Officer of Cargills Food City Company (CFC) presents sports goods to a team official. Also in the picture are Anura De Silva (President FFSL), football and officials from Cargills Food City.
Thirty two teams received walk-overs in the first round of the Cargills Food City Football Tournament 2015-2016. This was the first time such an occurrence took place in the history of football in the country said officials of football clubs.
Normally walk-overs take place in league tournaments but never in a knockout tournament of this nature.
This time 509 teams are taking part stated the Sri Lanka Football Federation when the tournament commenced.
It is obvious that according to the number of walk-overs only bogus teams have sent in entries in order to indicate that a large number of teams are taking part in the competition.
When the media questioned the Sri Lanka Football Federation (SLFF) regarding the walk-overs even the President of the SLFF Anura De Silva agreed that there were walk-overs amounting to about 30 to 40 matches as teams had turned up for their encounters.
The Cargills Food City FA Cup final round will commenced yesterday with the participation of 32 teams. The competition will end on April 30.
The pre-quarter-finals will take place on May 7 and 8 and the quarter-finals will be held on May 13 and 14. The semi-finals will be on May 20 and the finals will take place on May 28. This has been scheduled by the Sri Lanka Football Federation.
509 teams took part in the competition and 508 matches were completed.
The following 32 teams have qualified for the 7th round:
Top Seeded Teams: Colombo FC, Blue Star SC (Kalutara), SL Navy SC, SL Army SC, Matara City FC, Solid SC (Anuradhapura), Saunders SC (Colombo),
Upcountry Lions SC (Nawalapitiya), Java Lane SC (Colombo), Air Force SC, Singing Fish SC (Jaffna), St. Joseph SC (Mannar), Renown SC (Colombo), Highlanders SC (Ratnapura), SL Police SC, New Star SC (Colombo), Crystal Palace SC (Gampola), New Youngs SC (Wennappuwa), Negombo Youth SC, Nandimitra SC, Super Sun SC (Beruwala), Thihariya Youth SC, Pelicans SC (Kurunegala), Kalutara Park SC.
Qualified Teams: Kirulapone United SC, Red Star SC (Ratmalana), Hilary SC (Mannar), Brilliant SC (Ampara), St.Nicholas (Jaffna), Liverpool (Puttlam), Jet Liners (Gampaha), Comrades (Badulla).
8 new teams reach 7th round
Of the 32 teams playing, 16 teams seeded are the top teams of last year’s FA Cup Championship and 8 teams are from last year’s Champions League.
Colombo FC the winners of last year face tough competition from 8 new teams that have reached the 7th round including Kirulapone United SC, Red Star SC (Ratmalana), Hillary SC (Mannar), Brilliant SC (Ampara), Liverpool (Puttlam), Comrades (Badulla), Jet Liners (Gampaha) and St. Nicholas (Jaffna). The teams take their place in the 7th round having won all their preliminary round matches. Brilliant Sports Club was the Champions of Division II tournament in 2010.
Cargills Food City the title sponsor of the FA Cup in Sri Lanka were the first to introduce the original FA Cup style trophy to the local version of this long standing tradition of football. Globally the FA Cup is an underdog fan’s dream where the possibility of a minnow becoming a giant is real at every stage of the game.
In a strong push to develop Sri Lanka Football Cargills Food City Champions FA Cup for 3rd consecutive year
Cargills Food City is putting its weight behind the FA Cup Championship for the 3rd consecutive year in line with the Cargills (Ceylon) PLC partnership with the Football Federation of Sri Lanka. Cargills Food City looking to ignite the football frenzy across the island.
Cargills a company that is synonymous with youth development has put its strength behind national sports with a particular emphasis on Football due to its capacity to touch millions of lives.
“Tracing back the history of Cargills some of the best national players from the yesteryears were part of the Cargills team. Today we believe Sri Lanka Football can be further harnessed through the Cargills Food City team, young men and women hailing from across the island – as do the players of this phenomenal game. They provide an ideal platform to ignite a renewed passion towards the game from the grassroots to the national level,” said Dhammika Guruge, Chief Operating Officer of Cargills Foods Company (CFC) at a press conference held at the Football House in Colombo.
Sri Lanka Football Federation President Anura de Silva said that after this tournament will be the Dialog Champions League tournament which will commence in June. He said that talented players from these two tournaments will be picked for the National Pool.