The 2011 Danone Nations Cup is in full swing with KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Cape next to host their Provincial finals on Saturday, 7 May. Each Provincial winner will then compete in the National Finals scheduled for Eldorado Park, Gauteng, on 9 July. The ultimate Champions will travel to Spain in October to represent South Africa in the 2011 Danone Nations Cup World Finals. With the recent re-structure of the SASFA KwaZulu Natal Province the number of competing teams has increased from four to ten meaning that six additional regions will get a chance to compete in the Provincial finals.
Sinenzuzo Primary School from Pinetown district won the 2010 Danone Nations Cup and went on to finish in 16th position out of 40 in the Danone Nations Cup World Finals held in South Africa, the first time the international leg has been held outside France. However, the school did not manage to get past the District finals this year so will not be defending their title.
One of the schools that will be playing at the King Zweletini Stadium in Umlazi on Saturday will be Ophuzane Primary School from Vryheid. After being beaten by Sinenzuzo at the Provincial finals last year they are confident that they will get to the National finals this year. The coach feels that the experience they gained last year will help the school as well as the fact that a number of the players will be in the team again this year.
The teams that will be competing in the KwaZulu-Natal provincials are Suyraville Primary (Amajuba district), Ndabayakhe Primary (Empangeni district), Suiderland Primary (Ilembe district), Ndongeni Primary school (Umlazi district), Mthwazi Primary (Ubombo district), Taylors Primary (Mgungunlovu district), Ezamukuthula Primary (Uthukela district), Empathe Primary (Umzinyathi district), Hlongeni Primary (Ugu district), and Ophuzane Primary (Vryheid district). They will be facing each other at King Zweletini Stadium on Saturday 7 May. Games start at 9.30am.
Meanwhile at the Kimberley Technikon High School five schools will be competing for the Provincial Champion title. John Links, manager of the Dusselrivier Primary School in Namaqualand says: “We have been competing in the Danone Nations Cup since 2009 and have finally managed to get to the Provincial finals.”
“To get to this position we have gone through many challenges, the main one being the fact that our school is very small and we have had to travel great distances to get to our games,” says Links. “But beside these challenges we have reached the Provincial finals and my boys have excellent discipline and dedication and we are counting down the days to Saturday.”
Last year’s Provincial winners, Port Nolloth Primary School from Namaqualand, were knocked out of the 2011 Danone Nations Cup at Regional level which has paved the way for the rest of the teams: “Port Nolloth is a very strong football school that normally wins all the tournaments in the Northern Cape,” explained Link. “Now that they are out it gives the rest of us the opportunity to get to the National finals.”
But Dusselrivier Primary will have stiff competition: “We have been preparing for the Danone Nations Cup since January,” said 11 year old midfielder, Bakang Mainabo from Robanyane Toto Primary based in Upington. “Personally I have never been outside Upington so just getting to play in Kimberley is exciting and I am really looking forward to competing against other schools and will pick up different football skills that will help me with my style of play. The tournament slogan is ‘Believe in your dreams’ and my dream is to better my football and to reach the National Finals.”
The teams that will be competing in the Northern Cape Provincials are Kgabang Primary (Francis Baard district), Van Rensburg Primary (Pixley Kasime district), Imbruner Primary School (Siyanda district), Robanyane Toto Primary (John Taole district) and Dusselrivier Primary (Namaqualand district). The matches will be played at Galeshewe stadium in Kimberley on 7 May, kick-off at 9:00 am.
Group Danone, one of the world’s largest producers of dairy products, started the competition with the desire to act sustainably on behalf of children’s well-being and health. Football as a universal sport is the perfect way to promote values like fair play, the pleasure of the game, team spirit, sharing -and above all- human values like openness, and respect, explains Sandra Dorville, communications manager of Danone South Africa.
“By bringing healthy food and some good healthy fun together, children learn about life through a shared experience. And to those who get to the world finals, it is an experience that will undoubtedly become a cherished memory,” says Dorville. “The experience of interacting with teams from other cultures and places in the world while playing the beautiful game gives the international leg of the Danone Nations Cup the feeling of a real world cup, but only for under-12’s.”
Sinenzuzo Primary School from Pinetown district won the 2010 Danone Nations Cup and went on to finish in 16th position out of 40 in the Danone Nations Cup World Finals held in South Africa, the first time the international leg has been held outside France. However, the school did not manage to get past the District finals this year so will not be defending their title.
One of the schools that will be playing at the King Zweletini Stadium in Umlazi on Saturday will be Ophuzane Primary School from Vryheid. After being beaten by Sinenzuzo at the Provincial finals last year they are confident that they will get to the National finals this year. The coach feels that the experience they gained last year will help the school as well as the fact that a number of the players will be in the team again this year.
The teams that will be competing in the KwaZulu-Natal provincials are Suyraville Primary (Amajuba district), Ndabayakhe Primary (Empangeni district), Suiderland Primary (Ilembe district), Ndongeni Primary school (Umlazi district), Mthwazi Primary (Ubombo district), Taylors Primary (Mgungunlovu district), Ezamukuthula Primary (Uthukela district), Empathe Primary (Umzinyathi district), Hlongeni Primary (Ugu district), and Ophuzane Primary (Vryheid district). They will be facing each other at King Zweletini Stadium on Saturday 7 May. Games start at 9.30am.
Meanwhile at the Kimberley Technikon High School five schools will be competing for the Provincial Champion title. John Links, manager of the Dusselrivier Primary School in Namaqualand says: “We have been competing in the Danone Nations Cup since 2009 and have finally managed to get to the Provincial finals.”
“To get to this position we have gone through many challenges, the main one being the fact that our school is very small and we have had to travel great distances to get to our games,” says Links. “But beside these challenges we have reached the Provincial finals and my boys have excellent discipline and dedication and we are counting down the days to Saturday.”
Last year’s Provincial winners, Port Nolloth Primary School from Namaqualand, were knocked out of the 2011 Danone Nations Cup at Regional level which has paved the way for the rest of the teams: “Port Nolloth is a very strong football school that normally wins all the tournaments in the Northern Cape,” explained Link. “Now that they are out it gives the rest of us the opportunity to get to the National finals.”
But Dusselrivier Primary will have stiff competition: “We have been preparing for the Danone Nations Cup since January,” said 11 year old midfielder, Bakang Mainabo from Robanyane Toto Primary based in Upington. “Personally I have never been outside Upington so just getting to play in Kimberley is exciting and I am really looking forward to competing against other schools and will pick up different football skills that will help me with my style of play. The tournament slogan is ‘Believe in your dreams’ and my dream is to better my football and to reach the National Finals.”
The teams that will be competing in the Northern Cape Provincials are Kgabang Primary (Francis Baard district), Van Rensburg Primary (Pixley Kasime district), Imbruner Primary School (Siyanda district), Robanyane Toto Primary (John Taole district) and Dusselrivier Primary (Namaqualand district). The matches will be played at Galeshewe stadium in Kimberley on 7 May, kick-off at 9:00 am.
Group Danone, one of the world’s largest producers of dairy products, started the competition with the desire to act sustainably on behalf of children’s well-being and health. Football as a universal sport is the perfect way to promote values like fair play, the pleasure of the game, team spirit, sharing -and above all- human values like openness, and respect, explains Sandra Dorville, communications manager of Danone South Africa.
“By bringing healthy food and some good healthy fun together, children learn about life through a shared experience. And to those who get to the world finals, it is an experience that will undoubtedly become a cherished memory,” says Dorville. “The experience of interacting with teams from other cultures and places in the world while playing the beautiful game gives the international leg of the Danone Nations Cup the feeling of a real world cup, but only for under-12’s.”
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