SA Dota & CS:GO student team to journey to Russia
Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) has revealed their Dota and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) teams to participate in a four-way test match in Moscow, Russia from September 15 to 17.
The competition will see the African nation face off against Serbia, Kazakhstan and hosts Russia for a chance to secure a slice of the ₽1,500,000 ($24,779) prize pool.
The South Africa team, which is managed by veteran team manager Johan van Breda, is set to be represented by students from the University of Cape Town (UCT), University of Stellenbosch (MATIES), University of Pretoria (TUKS) and SWPS Uniwersytet.
This is following trials held ahead of the team’s journey to Moscow, which were held at MSSA’s annual North West Online Championships, which saw students from six (6) institutions of higher learning fighting for a place in the team.
Below are the Dota and CS:GO teams selected after the North West Online Championships wrapped up:
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Team
| Name of player | Institution of higher learning |
| Joshua Chapman | University of Cape Town (UCT) |
| Simon Zandstra | University of Stellenbosch (MATIES) |
| Sebastian Pelaez | University of Cape Town (UCT) |
| Robert Butler | University of Cape Town (UCT) |
| Armand Pierre van der Colf | University of Pretoria (TUKS) |
Dota Team
| Name of player | Institution of higher learning |
| Christian Uys | University of Stellenbosch (MATIES) |
| Lennard Koekemoer | University of Pretoria (TUKS) |
| Nathan Beck | University of Pretoria (TUKS) |
| Suhail Khan | University of Pretoria (TUKS) |
| Tameer Chicktay | SWPS Uniwersytet |
Below is the prize structure for the upcoming competition:
| Position | Prize |
| 1st place | ₽800,000 ($13,215) |
| 2nd place | ₽400,000 ($6,608) |
| 3rd place | ₽200,000 ($3,304) |
| 4th place | ₽100,000 ($1,652) |
South Africa’s participation in the four-way test match in Russia has caused some tension on social media due to the country’s ongoing war with Ukraine, with some, such as radio personality Jon Gericke, calling into question the MSSA’s decision to accept the Russian Esports Federation’s invite to participate in the competition.
