The fourth and final round of the 2026 African Marketing Fistball League delivered a dramatic finish on Saturday, with teams battling for valuable league points before the competition moves into the playoffs.
The headline clash came in the A League, where CFC 1 defeated fellow title contenders SFC 1 in another crucial battle at the top of the standings.
The victory saw CFC 1 finish the league phase in first place with 40 points, while SFC 1 ended second on 37 points. SKW 1 finished third with 20 points, followed by CFC 2 and SKW 2. CFC 1 and SFC 1 now advance directly to the semi-finals, setting up an exciting final stage of the competition.
In the B League, SKW 3 secured top spot after finishing the league phase on 37 points. SFC 2 ended second with 29 points, followed by SKW 4 on 28. CFC 3 occupied fourth position with 22 points, while SFC 3 and SKW 5 completed the standings. But the final round was interrupted by an unusual incident when a large swarm of bees invaded the CFC grounds, forcing organisers to suspend play because it was no longer safe for players and spectators.
Rather than allowing the disruption to derail the tournament, the remaining matches were moved to the SKW grounds. After several hours, the teams returned to CFC to complete the U18 matches, bringing an unusual but memorable league finale to a close. In the U18 division, SKW 1 finished top with 15 points, narrowly ahead of CFC 1 on 13.
SKW 2 took third with four points, followed by SFC 1 on three. The U12 competition was decided by the narrowest of margins. SKW 1 and SKW 2 both recorded five wins and finished with 61 ball points.
The title was ultimately decided by head-to-head ball difference, with SKW 1 crowned champions. SFC 1 finished third with 48 ball points, while CFC 1 ended fourth on 35. The U15 competition was equally tight. SKW 1 won five of six matches to finish first with 62 ball points, just one point ahead of SKW 2, who also recorded five victories.
CFC 1 finished third, with SFC 1 in fourth. With the league phase now complete, attention turns to the playoffs, where the leading teams will battle for the 2026 African Marketing Fistball League titles. After a season of tight standings, decisive encounters and an unexpected bee invasion, the stage is set for a thrilling finale.
By Rudi Bowe
