Tshwane U19 School favourites to win the R1 million Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup prize

After months of gruelling qualifiers the 3 000 schools that registered for the U19 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup have been reduced to just 18. The 18 teams will go head to head in the national finals taking place at the Giant Stadium, Soshanguve, Tshwane between 6^th and 9^th October.

Holy Trinity High School of Atteridgeville won the Gauteng provincial title after defeating the defending champions,  Clapham High School – the Mamelodi Sundowns Academy’s school - to make it through.

That win, according to the team manager, Patrick Moubane, has given them plenty of confidence and the team will be bolstered by the return of 7 players who missed the Gauteng finals because they were on national under-17 and under-19 duty.

Holy Trinity houses the Supersport United Academy and Moubane believes the experience that the players get at the club gives them a big advantage. “Our players have played in higher level competitive games than most of the other schools that we will be playing against at the nationals,” he said. “They have qualified coaches and a technical support team that focuses on the team only as opposed to being teachers who coach at the same time”.

Preparations for the national finals are under way, Moubane said. “Training has been going well, and from what I have heard from the players, they are giving 110% to the training programme that is designed by their coach, Kaitano Tambo.  I think that the team has been working hard and have shown that they are ready.”

Having the national players back means the team for the nationals is much stronger than that for the provincial finals. “All our players have come back and want to represent the school because they didn’t have a chance to do so during the provincials,” Moubane said.

The manager is expecting Free State champions Harmony High School to be their strongest opposition, “They won the national title in 2011 and each year they win their provincials and do well at the nationals.

“Last year we were with Rosina Sedibane at the nationals and did not do well against Harmony. We are ready to face up against them, with soccer nothing is definite. Maybe this year is our year,” he said.

Moubane believes playing at home will be an advantage for them. “The other teams have to travel from the different provinces, but we won’t have to worry about fatigue, while the others will still be recovering from travelling to Gauteng. Our plan is to strike while the iron is hot, going into our first game we have to make sure that we dominate and make the opposition work extremely hard to get the ball and tire them out some more.

“We will also have the community’s support, everyone from Pretoria will be coming to support us and the fans will give us the edge. Our learners will also come through to support their school.”

Moubane said that beating Clapham 1-0 at the Gauteng Provincial finals was crucial. “Beating the national champions proved to us that we can beat any school if we continue playing like we have been. The team has improved tremendously, and we are hopeful that we are going to win the nationals,” he concluded. 

All competing teams:

GAUTENG PROVINCE
1	WINNER:            Holy Trinity High School, Atteridgeville
2	RUNNER UP:      Thaba Jabula Senior Secondary School, Soweto
NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE
3	WINNER:            A.J. Ferreira High School, Upington
4	RUNNER UP:      Okiep High School, Springbok
LIMPOPO PROVINCE
5	WINNER:            Benny’s Sports Development Academy, Makhado
6	RUNNER UP:      Makikele High School, Phalaborwa
FREE STATE PROVINCE
7	WINNER:             Harmony High School, Virginia
8	RUNNER UP:       Tlokola Secondary School, Marquard
EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE
9	WINNER:             Lingelihle Senior Secondary School, Queenstown
10	RUNNER UP:       Walmer High School, Nelson Mandela Bay
WESTERN CAPE  PROVINCE
11	WINNER:             Mondale High School, Mitchells Plain
12	RUNNER UP:       Desmond Mpilo Tutu Senior Secondary School, Paarl
NORTHWEST   PROVINCE
13	WINNER:             Sebetwane Secondary School, Tlakgameng
14	RUNNER UP:       Matlaisane Secondary School, Hammanskraal
KWAZULU NATAL  PROVINCE
15	WINNER:               Tholokuhle High School, Richards Bay
16	RUNNER UP:        Umqhele High school, Pinetown
MPUMALANGA
17	WINNER:            St Marks International School, Nelspruit
18	RUNNER UP:     Kwa Shuku Secondary School, Piet Retief