Wednesday, 7 October 2026

Supplementary National Team Trials will take place online on Saturday, 10 October 2026, from 09:00 to 19:00


The MSSA Management Board following consideration of the circumstances surrounding the National Team Trials held on 25 July 2026 and the need to ensure that South Africa has an opportunity to enter teams into IESF's WEC26, and other events, has decided to hold a Supplementary National Team Trials for Counter-Strike 2 (Women), and Dota 2

Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) has approved supplementary National Team Trials for Counter-Strike 2 Women and Dota 2 ahead of the IESF World Esports Championship 2026 (WEC26) in Indonesia.

The supplementary trials will take place online on Saturday, 10 October 2026, from 09:00 to 19:00, with Sunday, 11 October 2026 reserved as a contingency day should matches need to be completed.

The decision was taken by the MSSA Management Board following consideration of the circumstances surrounding the National Team Trials held on 25 July 2026 and the need to ensure that South Africa has an opportunity to enter teams in all applicable WEC26 categories.

Counter-Strike 2 Women

At the July National Team Trials, Counter-Strike 2 was advertised as a single title and a separate women's category was not listed. MSSA subsequently established that at least two eligible women's teams did not enter the trials because they reasonably understood the published notice to concern the open Counter-Strike 2 category.

One women's Counter-Strike 2 team did enter the July trials. However, one of its five players had not submitted the documentation required under the National Team Bye-Laws before the commencement of the trials. The outstanding documentation was not received by the applicable extended deadline.

As a result, the Management Board determined that no women's Counter-Strike 2 team is eligible for selection from the 25 July trials and no players had been advised that they had been selected.

MSSA emphasises that this is a finding of eligibility only and is not a finding of misconduct against any player, team or club.

The supplementary trial therefore provides an open opportunity for eligible women's Counter-Strike 2 players and teams who had so qualified in the period 1 July 2025 to 1 September 2026, including the team that participated in July, to compete for selection.

Dota 2

Dota 2 was not included among the titles contested at the July National Team Trials. As Dota 2 is a WEC26 competition category, the Management Board has accordingly approved supplementary trials for the title, to the extent that trials have not already been approved.

Open entry

Entry to the supplementary trials is open to all affiliated MSSA Members who hadqualified in the period 1 July 2025 to 1 September 2026 . It is not restricted to teams that participated in the July trials.

For Counter-Strike 2 Women, eligible players must satisfy the applicable MSSA eligibility requirements, including the requirements concerning participation and placings, and must be fully registered and paid up through an affiliated Member when entries close.

The same applicable eligibility requirements will apply to Dota 2 players.

A team must comprise five eligible players, with no reserves permitted.

Entry and documentation deadlines

Clubs must submit team entries on the prescribed form by:

Friday, 9 October 2026 at 23:59

The entry fee is R100 per player.

Players must submit the required documentation by:

Friday, 9 October 2026 at 17:00

This includes:

  • A valid South African passport;

  • A signed Senior Contract or, for players under 18, a Junior Contract signed by a parent or guardian; and

  • An unabridged birth certificate for players under 18.

MSSA will not grant an extension for outstanding documents. A team whose players do not have the required documentation in place at the start of the trials will not be permitted to compete.

Selection of the National Teams

The MSSA Selection Committee will trials are open to eligible teams across MSSA's affiliated membership, and the organisation will apply the published eligibility, competition and selection requirements consistently to all select the National Teams in accordance with the National Team Bye-Laws, with the National Team Manager present.

The selection process will be based primarily on results achieved at the supplementary trials. Selection is of players for the National Team, rather than selection of a club team as such.

The captain will be selected from the captains participating in the supplementary trials. The captain will then submit a squad of 10 players drawn from those who participated, subject to MSSA approval. The final WEC26 team will subsequently be selected from that squad in accordance with the number of players required by IESF.

Preparing South Africa for WEC26

The IESF World Esports Championship 2026 will be held in Indonesia from 15 to 20 December 2026. Counter-Strike 2 Women and Dota 2 are among the competition categories.

The Management Board considered the international entry deadline and determined that there was insufficient time to conduct supplementary trials using the ordinary notice period.

The Board therefore exercised its authority under the MSSA Constitution, General Regulations and National Esports Team Bye-Laws, taking into account the written interpretation of the relevant notice provisions.

The decision will be reported to the MSSA Executive Committee for confirmation at its next meeting.

Commitment to a fair selection process

MSSA's decision is intended to provide eligible players with a clear and open opportunity to compete for National Team selection in categories that could not properly be selected from the July trials.

The supplementary trials are open to eligible teams across MSSA's affiliated membership, and the organisation will apply the published eligibility, competition and selection requirements consistently to all participants.

MSSA wishes all participating players and teams the best of success in the supplementary National Team Trials and looks forward to selecting South African representatives for WEC26.

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