Sport
4 August, 2025
Legends battle it out for the Cup
LEGENDS of local soccer came together on Saturday night to fight out the Moriconi-Bomben Cup in Mareeba as part of the Cairns Italian Festival.
The cup is named after the late Alf Moriconi of the Mareeba United football club and John Bomben of the Leichhardt Lions.
In recognition of close ties between the two clubs, the Italian festival introduced the Moriconi-Bomben Cup to bring together past players of the game who are over 50 years of age and still able to take to the field.
Lui Serafini, who, at 69, was the oldest player on the field. Not surprisingly, the game lacked a little intensity but the match was about more than just the physical skills.
Mareeba Bulls took the lead in the first half through Christian Mukadi but the Lions came roaring back in the second half, with goals from Jamie Hargest and Robert Booy.
The final score was 2-1, but it was the game and the relationships between the players which were the winners.
Both teams came together in the dressing rooms after the game to share a drink and reminisce about the glory days.
In the Mareeba Bulls Premier Men’s match against Leichhardt, things got serious but the home side went down 1-0.
The only goal of the match was scored in the ninth minute of the first half and despite some excellent game play, the Bulls could not manage to get one in the net. The men take on the Edge Hill Tigers on Saturday night at home.
The Under 23 side also lost to Leichhardt 2-0, but the club had something to celebrate over the weekend, with the Bulls Women’s side notching up a victory on Friday night with a great 4-2 win over Stratford Dolphins.
The Bulls had a dominant first half, scoring three into the net through Samantha Madrid, Blake Verschetti and Leksi Mukadi, while Teehsa Potts scored late in the second half.
The team takes on the Southside Comets this Friday night at Lindsay Australia Stadium in Mareeba.
