Stellenbosch University’s (SU) e-sports team recently came second in the country during the University Sport South Africa (USSA) E-Sports Championships. This was confirmed by Yaseen Gangat, e-sports manager at SU.
Maties hoped to take the top spot for the third year in a row, but a rescheduling of the tournament impacted their team selections, said Gangat.
The Maties e-sports team ended in second position at this year’s University Sport South Africa 2024 E-Sports Championship. “We would have loved to win it three years in a row,” said Stellenbosch University e-sports manager Yaseen Gangat. PHOTO: Supplied/Yaseen Gangat
The tournament was originally scheduled for 8 to 9 August, but was moved to 30 and 31 August, according to Gangat.
“We are not happy. We would have loved to win it three years in a row,” Gangat said.
“Four of our best players could not attend due to their A1 exams,” he said. “But we take nothing away from the 2024 winners [the University of Cape Town]. They deserved it.”
Tournament structure
The tournament consisted of three gaming categories: Rocket League, EA FC 24, and Clash Royale, according to Gangat.
Of these categories, the SU team won the Rocket League category for the third year in a row, extending an unbeaten streak that now spans three years, according to Gangat.
EA FC 24 was one of three games that featured at this year’s University Sport South Africa E-Sports Championships, alongside Rocket League and Clash Royale, according to Maties e-sports manager Yaseen Gangat. PHOTO: Eugene Marais
Kayla du Plessis, who won the USSA women’s FIFA (now EA FC 24) title last year, had to settle for second place this year as she was defeated in the final against University of Cape Town (UCT).
“I was a bit disappointed with second place,” Du Plessis said.
Azola Sikisi, the only female player in the Clash Royale category, finished in fifth place out of 22 players.
“I enjoyed it and learnt a lot. It was very fast paced, obviously, because it’s a competitive environment, but it pushed my brain to think more when I played the game,” Sikisi said.
Stellenbosch University’s performance at this year’s University Sport South Africa E-Sports Championships. GRAPHIC: Eugene Marais
The future of E-Sport at SU
According to Gangat, e-sports at SU has grown considerably over the last three years.
“We started off with 19 students when I took over as the club manager [in 2022]. In 2023, we grew to 74 members and now we are 79 members,” he said.
Gangat said that the university has played a significant role in the growth of the sport, particularly through the provision of resources.
“We have consoles, an e-sports hub, as well as fast internet,” he said. “The senior management team, under the leadership of Mrs Ilhaam Groenewald, believed in the vision and they have been the clubs number one supporters. Our growth has been nothing short of phenomenal.”
Kayla du Plessis, a member of the Maties E-Sport team, had to settle for second place, after hoping to defend her title in the EA FC 24 category.