Thursday, April 30, 2015

Mpumalanga Secondary School hopes to compete at provincial level in the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup


With two games to go in the cluster level playoffs in the Emalahleni 2 Cluster in Mpumalanga, Mehlwane Secondary School are on track to end on top of their section and go through to the next level of the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup competition.

Mdu Skosana, the team’s coach and manager, explains that they have not had much success in tournament before, always eliminated in the early phases, but this year they have won three and drawn one of their games so far, which puts them at the top of the table, with two games to go.

“It’s been a psychological thing with the players, they have let themselves believe that if the previous team didn’t make it further they also can’t,” he said. “But, at the moment we are leading the log standings by 10 points and we are left with only 2 games to finish our cluster games and proceed through to the sub regional games. Things are looking good for us, but we don’t want to count our chickens before they hatch. We just have to remain strong and continue our game plan for the upcoming matches.”

Skosana said the players at the school are passionate about soccer and they understand that playing soccer is not always about winning, but they would still like to experience playing in the provincial and national finals of the tournament and be exposed to schools from other districts.

The cluster games have been smooth sailing for them, he explained and they even drew with Zacheus Malaza SS, who participated in the provincial finals last year. “We viewed them as our biggest competition, but we realised that they are no more competitive or stronger than our side,” he said.

Skosana said the main challenge they face is not having a proper soccer field to train on. “The school does have a pitch, but it’s not in a good condition, which makes it hard for us to train as much as we would like to.  We currently train at our local stadium when it’s available,” he said.

The team has a number of very talented players who Skosana regards as key players. “But I have to single out the captain, Aubrey Mahlangu. He is a versatile player who can play any position, but lately he has been the striker for the team and is currently our leading goal-scorer. He is one of those players that need to be exposed to academies.  It is a pity that we are in the outskirts Emalahleni.”

The teams participating in the cluster playoffs are:

Zacheus Malaza Secondary School, Empucukweni Secondary School,  Leonard Nthuntshe Secondary School, D.M Matsaosele Secondary School,  Mehlwane Secondary School, Mabdande Secondary School and Phillip Ndimande Secondary School 


Previous Danone Nations Cup champions take a step closer to repeating their past success


Daniye Primary School of Bushbuckridge go into the Mpumalanga provincial finals of the under-12 Danone Nations Cup competition determined to relive the glories of 2013 when they won the national title and represented the country at the Danone Nations Cup World Finals in London.

They will be taking on the province’s other regional winners at the Themba Senamela Stadium in Middelburg on 9th May, and they have a new coach - Mr Gideon Theko – at the helm.

The school was eliminated before the provincial level last year and Theko, who joined the school as a teacher this year, said he has been following their soccer journey for a long time now and is glad that he has been the one to lead them into the provincial playoffs.

“I am passionate about soccer; I used to play soccer while growing up wishing that I could make a career out of it but unfortunately I didn’t reach the professional level so I opted for coaching,” he said. “That was in 1996, so I have 19 years of experience. I have no formal training in coaching and I use my experience that I gained from when I was a soccer player to coach the boys.”

From the first game this year Theko said he could tell that the boys really want to win the tournament this time. “They have been strong, determined and consistent from the beginning and I hope that they keep the momentum going forward. The team has been disciplined, they listen to my instructions and advice all the time, coaching them has been easy for me.”

The team is a completely new one and Theko said while it’s hard not to feel the pressure of wanting to repeat what the 2013 team did, there is the advantage of having the other teams feeling threatened by them.

The 2013 victory has had a positive effect on the school, Theko believes. The number of soccer players at the school has increased dramatically and the parents are more involved now.

“They want their kids to be part of the u12 team because they have seen the benefits,” he said. “There are currently 25 under-12 players who want to make the team. They know that not anyone gets to make the team they have to prove that they are worthy of being a part it.

“We are fortunate to have a great team of players who have natural talent and are thirsty for exposure. We will be selecting the starting line up on the basics: trapping and passing skills as well as the ability to shoot on target.”

Bohlabela Regional Results
Lehukwe 0 vs Daniye 3
Dwarsloop 1 vs Ximhungwe 0
Mashishing 0 (5) vs. Samson 0 (4)
Thulamahashe 0 (4) vs Marite 0 (5)
Daniye 3 vs Madile 0
Dwarsloop 1 v Mashishing 2
Daniye 2 vs Marite 0
Final - Daniye 1 vs Mashishing 0

The teams participating in the Mpumalanga provincial finals are:
Maminza Primary School-Ehlanzeni District
Daniye Primary School-Bohlabela District
Dumelani Primary School-Nkangala District
TBC-Gert Sibande District

About Danone
Danone Southern Africa is part of the Danone Group, one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world.  Danone is present in over 120 countries across all continents. With 160 plants and around 100,000 employees, the Danone Group is the number one worldwide for Fresh Dairy Products. Danone’s mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.
One of the core values of the Danone Nations Cup tournament is to encourage young people to believe in their dreams. Through this initiative Danone offers a sporting event that reaches out to and inspires millions of children all over the world


DNC Partners:



North West School wins the Danone Nations Cup provincial trophy for the second time



Everything went according to plan for Kgetleng Primary School, when they were crowned the North West provincial champions for the second year running at the Matlosana Stadium in Klerksdorp over the weekend. Kgetleng beat Laerskool Rustenburg 1 – 0 in the final match to retain the title.

According to coach, Benjamin Ngcuka, the strategy was to win the first game of the day.  “Winning the first game gives the players that boost of confidence and sends a message to the other teams to be on the lookout for us and this is exactly what happened.  What also helped was the team’s dedication and hard work they have put into preparing for the provincials.”

In recognition of the team’s success the school held a special assembly said the coach.     “The school has been behind the team from the first game we played at cluster level, which helped give the kids confidence in their own ability.”

Experiencing the nationals last year was of great help to the coach.  “Although the team was new to the tournament this year, as the 2014 winning coach I was able to guide the boys because I knew what to expect.”

What is of great excitement to the coach is that two of their players were identified by Mamelodi Sundowns scouts:  “My entire team did well on Saturday but I am particularly proud of my striker, Kealeboga Moeketsi, and winger, Makhotla Jantjies, who both caught the eye of the Sundowns scouts that attended the games.  Hopefully they will perform well at the nationals and if they do join the Sundowns Development programme they will go through to Jo’burg next year.”

Ngcuka does not believe in sitting back and basking in the glory of being the provincial champions and it is back to work in preparation for the nationals.  “Last year I focused on my defence which cost us the title,” he said.  “So this year I am changing the approach completely and scoring goals is my focus.  I will also pay particular attention to building team spirit and get the boys all fired up for the nationals.  I know they will be nervous and I will make sure that do not let anyone intimidate them.”

Ngcuka is already analyzing his opponents: “I have been following the tournament since it began and I see that the Northern Cape and Free State 2014 winners will be back in action again at the nationals.  But the province I believe will give us a real run for our money will be Gauteng.  I watched Farraremere Primary last year and they were impressive, in fact I believe they should have won the nationals and if they are back again this year I know it will be tough for us.”

Results:
Seichokelo Primary 0 vs. Laerskool Rustenburg Noord 1
Kgetleng Primary 1 vs. Bophepa Primary 0
Kgetleng Primary 1 (2) vs. Seichokelo Primary 1 (3)
Laerskool Rustenburg Noord 1 vs. Bophepa Primary 0
Bophepa Primary 0 vs. Seichokelo Primary 1
Laerskool Rustenburg Noord 0 (7) vs. Kgetleng Primary 0 (8)

Final
Laerskool Rustenburg Noord 0 vs. Kgetleng Primary 1

About Danone
Danone Southern Africa is part of the Danone Group, one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world.  Danone is present in over 120 countries across all continents. With 160 plants and around 100,000 employees, the Danone Group is the number one worldwide for Fresh Dairy Products. Danone’s mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.
One of the core values of the Danone Nations Cup tournament is to encourage young people to believe in their dreams. Through this initiative Danone offers a sporting event that reaches out to and inspires millions of children all over the world



DNC Partners:









Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Grey College moves a step closer to participating in the Free State Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Provincial Final



The Bloemfontein Cluster Games in the Free State Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by the Motsepe Foundation and Sanlam, are under way and in action there is one of South Africa’s leading sports schools, Grey College.

Ludwig Koekemoer, the school’s sports co-ordinator is also the team’s manager, and he explains that the school has been participating in the competition for four years now, and each time they have been eliminated at the regional finals stage.

“I think one of our biggest challenges is that our team mainly consists of under-17 players, and most of the other schools field 18 and 19-year olds,” he said. “Physically our boys don’t match up to the others and that’s where we encounter problems. Further, our players are not as experienced.  However exposure to older players does make them mentally and psychologically stronger and they are learning to compete outside of their comfort zone.  That’s when we get to evaluate their growth as a team and individually.”

Grey won the prestigious St David’s Challenge Cup and the Waterstone soccer tournaments in Johannesburg last year, showing that they are competitive against some of the country’s top schools. “We just need to gain more experience in terms of playing outside our comfort zone,” Koekemoer said.

This year, he believes has to be different compared to previous years. “I think we need to focus on the players’ mental game. We need to build their confidence, which is the most important aspect when it comes to the mental side of soccer. Even though physically our players are not as strongly built as other players they need to know and understand that soccer is a mental a game at the end of the day. We are known as the school to beat when it comes to rugby, now we want to be known as the school to beat when it comes to soccer as well.”

In their first cluster game this year, Grey beat Sehunelo Secondary School 4-1. “The team is looking very strong at the moment.  We are going hard in our attacking, defending and shooting on target. I didn’t expect the team to win by 4 goals, it’s a lot especially for the first game of our cluster,” Koekemoer said.

“But this indicates that the team is ready and they have a positive spirit going into the tournament. Winning the first game has definitely set the tone for our next games. I am confident that the team will go further in the tournament this year.”

Grey College has its own soccer complex, with possibly the best school fields in the country so, Koekemoer said, it’s a challenge when they have to play away games, sometimes on gravel fields.

“That definitely causes problems for the players, because they are not used to playing on such fields. This year we have arranged for all our cluster games to be played at our school, because we know that getting a venue is difficult for schools that don’t have their own soccer fields.”

The teams participating in the Bloemfontein cluster are:
Grey College
Bloemfontein High School
Sehunelo Secondary School
Kopanong High School
Heatherdale Secondary School

Headstart High School.


Friday, April 24, 2015

Mpumalanga Primary School coach is preparing his team for the Danone Nations Cup provincial finals.


Coaching at the under-12 level is crucial in the lives of any potential professional soccer player and requires dedication, repetition, the ability to understand every player and most importantly to instil the love of the game.

This is the view of manager/coach, Jabulani Bhima of Dumelani Primary School of the Nkangala District, KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga whose youngsters have won through to the provincial finals of the Danone Nations Cup happening at the Themba Senamela Stadium, Middelburg on 9th May.  The school has reached this level on two previous occasions, 2011 and 2013, but never progressed through to the nationals and are hoping that it will be third time lucky this year.

“The Danone Nations Cup is an extremely important tournament for these young kids,” said Bhima.  “We use the tournament as a catalyst to bring change into their lives. We want them to be sociable, confidant and to interact with kids from all over South Africa,” he said.

Bhima started teaching at the school in 1992 and began coaching soccer in 1994. He has an introductory certificate in coaching and attends coaching clinics whenever he can.

“I think having experience and a qualification in soccer go hand in hand, in that way you are able to understand the game practically and theoretically,” he said. “That’s how I coach my team, there’s theory and after that we do the practical on the field. I measure my success as a coach by how they are able to translate the theory into practice on the pitch.”

The players are still young and don’t know much about soccer at this stage, so the coach says he concentrates on the basics. “They need to be able to know when to defend, attack, mark and shoot.  Once a player knows the basics it makes our jobs as coaches much easier,” he said.

At the same time, it’s important as a coach not to be hard on your players. “These are kids and even though we are participating in competitions, we still need to stress the importance of having fun and playing to gain experience,” Bhima said.

Although they still have to win the provincial title, they are already started preparing for the nationals, that’s how determined they are, Bhima said. “We are fortunate to have support from the parents, the SGB, the principal Mrs Eva Maluleka and the community at large. Some parents have indicated that they will travel with us to support their kids and we welcome their support.”

Bhima is still to establish who his competition will be as the other regions are still playing their regional games.

Teams competing:
Maminza Primary School- Ehlanzeni District
Daniye Primary School- Bohlabela District
Dumelani Primary School-Nkangala District
TBC-Gert Sibande District 



Thursday, April 23, 2015

North West School hopes to retain the Danone Nations Cup provincial trophy



Kgetleng Primary School of the Ngaka Modiri Molema District of the North West will be defending their under-12 Danone Nations Cup provincial title on Saturday, 25th April, when they compete against three other regional winners at the Matlosana Stadium in Klerksdorp.

Coach, Benjamin Ngcuka has only two players from 2014 in the team and all the rest are new to the competition.  “We won the provincials for the first time in our history last year,” he said. “We knew then that most of the players would be lost this year so we decided to expose our youngster to the tournament last year. They trained and travelled with last year’s team, so the current team knows what this tournament is about and how it works. They know what is expected of them.”

The coach said they don’t know much about the teams they will be meeting on Saturday, but it will be very competitive at this level.

“The cluster, circuit and regional levels are all competitive in their own right and I know that the competition gets tougher at the provincial level but I am pleased to say that we haven’t lost a single game so far this season.  I hope the winning streak will continue throughout this tournament, but we will not underestimate any school. We train very hard and we are a dedicated team.”

Ngcuka believes the experience that he as a coach has of the nationals is valuable.  “I can relate my knowledge and experience to the current team and make their provincial final debut much easier,” he said. “Last year the team did exceptionally well but we lost concentration at the nationals. We will make sure that doesn’t happen again if we win again on Saturday.”

Ngcuka has been coaching at the school for 10, years and although he doesn’t have any formal qualifications, he attends coaching clinics and workshops offered by the Department of Education.
“I rely on my experience and knowledge to coach the team. I was a soccer player in my day and this is my way of making sure that these kids get an opportunity to reach a level that I never got to reach while I was playing.”

The opportunity to compete in the world finals is a great motivator for the team says Ngcuka.  “The Danone Nations Cup is now 15 years old and we have heard that the boys that compete in the world finals come back changed.  They have had the opportunity to see and discover more about the world and what it has to offer so they come home motivated and determined. I have told my boys this and also to believe in their dreams.”

Participating Teams
·        Kgetleng Primary School-Ngaka Modiri Molema District
·        Bophepha Public School-Dr Kenneth Kaunda
·        Seichokelo Primary School- Dr RS Mompati District
·        TBC -Bojanala District

About Danone
Danone Southern Africa is part of the Danone Group, one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world.  Danone is present in over 120 countries across all continents. With 160 plants and around 100,000 employees, the Danone Group is the number one worldwide for Fresh Dairy Products. Danone’s mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.
One of the core values of the Danone Nations Cup tournament is to encourage young people to believe in their dreams. Through this initiative Danone offers a sporting event that reaches out to and inspires millions of children all over the world



Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Benny's Sports Academy through to the Danone Nations Cup National finals



After years of participating in the under-12 Danone Nations Cup soccer tournament, Benny’s Sports Development and Academy from the Vhembe District, Makhado, Polokwane, will be participating in the national finals of the competition for the first time.

They won this honour after beating Mahupje Primary 1 – 0 in a thrilling provincial final match that took place at Hoerskool Noorderland in Polokwane over the weekend.

“We came into the tournament this year with a new team comprising players that started at the school this year,” said coach, Mr Mbishi Mokwena. “I also only started at the school this year and I am excited to have managed to reach this level of the tournament so quickly.  The school management did not expect the team to win and viewed this year as a learning experience, but deep in my heart I know I would lead the boys to victory.”

Mokwena admitted that it was not an easy win.  “The pitch was muddy due to the rain the previous night and the boys were finding it difficult to maintain ball possession but we persevered and won despite the conditions.”

The first three games of the day saw Benny’s draw with each opponent going on to win two of the three on penalties.   “We did not manage to score enough goals and this is an area I will be working on leading up to the nationals.  We don’t know what to expect but we do know that every team will be doing their best to win the trip to Morocco to compete in the world finals in October.”

Mokwena credits the whole team for the win, the captain, Dakalo Mukwevho in particular as he lead the team beautifully.  “Dakalo lifted the spirit of the boys when they drew the first three games.  He decided to call the boys to a meeting where he gave them a little motivational talk which worked wonders and they rose to the occasion.”

The coach believes that his team was the strongest on the day and will be attending the nationals with a fighting spirit and a winning attitude.  He will be working hard with the boys for the next couple of months which will include watching videos of past world finals.  “But at the national finals I will allow the boys to show off their flare and skills on their own.  I know they can do it.”

North West hosts the next provincial final at the Matlosana Stadium in Klerksdorp on 25 April.  The national finals will be held at Reiger Park, Boksburg, Gauteng on 27 June.

Limpopo Results:
Mmamakwa Primary 1 (2) vs Benny's Sports & Academy 1 (3)
Rammupudu Primary 0 vs  Mahupje Primary 1
Megoring Primary 1 vs Mmamakwa Primary 0
Benny's Sports & Academy 0 (2) vs Rammupudu Primary 0 (3)
Mahupje Primary 0 (3) vs Megoring Primary 0 (4)
Mmamakwa Primary 1 (3) vs Rammupudu Primary 1 (2)
Benny's Sports & Academy 0 (3) vs  Mahupje Primary 0 (1)
Rammupudu Primary 2 vs Megoring Primary 0
Mahupje Primary 1 vs Mmamakwa Primary 0
Megoring Primary 1 vs Benny's Sports & Academy 2
FINAL
Mahupje Primary 0 vs Benny's Sports & Academy 1

About Danone
Danone Southern Africa is part of the Danone Group, one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world.  Danone is present in over 120 countries across all continents. With 160 plants and around 100,000 employees, the Danone Group is the number one worldwide for Fresh Dairy Products. Danone’s mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.
One of the core values of the Danone Nations Cup tournament is to encourage young people to believe in their dreams. Through this initiative Danone offers a sporting event that reaches out to and inspires millions of children all over the world








Thursday, April 16, 2015

2015 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup games begin in Free State's Virginia Region


Harmony High School of Virginia in the Free State is the most successful team in the history of the under-19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup competition, sponsored by Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation having won a staggering R2.7 million over the past 5 years. Since 2010 the school has won the national title, finished second, third and fourth places. 

Only once – in 2013 – were they not Free State provincial champions after being beaten by Bloemfontein’s HTS Louis Botha. 

Their 2015 campaign begins on Saturday 18th April, on their home field, when the Virginia Cluster games in the Lejweleputswa District will take place with four other teams including:  Marematlou, Mamello, Meloding and Reatlehile High Schools.

Hector Mokhali, Harmony’s team manager, says that although they meet the same schools at cluster level every year, and they have always beaten them, they are not complacent.  “We know that we are the most targeted team in the tournament. All schools want to win and progress through to the next round.  We have to work hard to ensure that we win,” he said.

Mokhali explains that, while they make sure that they don’t put pressure on the team to exceed the previous year’s side, pressure is self-inflicted. “It’s more a case of wanting to prove a point and show to us that they can also win the tournament and play better than the previous teams,” he said.

“I think that having pressure is a good thing for the players because it stops them from becoming complacent and drives them to achieve more.”

The Harmony Sports Academy was established in 2004, Mokhali explained. “We were inspired by the talent that Free State has and we wanted to give the players a chance to be exposed to a higher level of soccer. We are the only Academy in Free State and we source our players all over the province. We hold trials in December and usually look for 14 and 15 year- olds.

“We groom them for 5 years, and after they have completed their Grade 12 they get released from the Academy but we do try and place them with professional teams. Not all of them get to make,” he explains.

Mokhali says the team is ready for the games this week.  “Our advantage is that the players live in the boarding houses and training doesn’t stop when the schools are on holiday. We train every day, coach Pitso Mokoena has been working very hard with the team.  We still have 13 players from last year’s team, so we didn’t bring in a lot of new players. The boys know the mistakes they made during last year’s national finals.”

It’s just the first step and Mokhali said they are looking forward to meeting HTS Louis Botha. “They are a strong team and the one to beat to win the R100 000 provincial winnings again. ”








Limpopo hosts their Danone Nations Cup Provincial Finals


The Danone Nations Cup Limpopo provincial finals kicks-off on Saturday, 18 April at Hoerskool Noordeland in Polokwane.

There will be five schools participating, one being Mmamakwa Full Service School  representing Bela-Bela, and coach Thabo Mapharumela is hoping that 2015 will be their lucky year and they will, for the first time, get through to the national finals.

“We have been playing in the tournament since 2001 and this is the first time we have made it to the provincials.  My team has really made me proud.  I have been working towards this for so many years and we have finally made it,” said Mapharumela, who has been the coach they started participating.  He has no formal soccer qualification and uses experience as a form of reference.

“There are two important teachings I instill into the players and those are ball possession and accurate shooting,” said Mapharumela. 

The road to the provincial finals was not plain sailing admits Mapharumela and what got them through was the team’s consistency.  “We played two matches at circuit level beating Spar Park Primary 3 – 0 and Albert Luthuli Primary 4 – 1 and we went on to win all our games at regional level to get to the Provincials.”

The build up to Saturday’s games has been focused on working on defense.  “I am very happy with the strikers and midfielders, but noticed that we needed to tighten up on defense,” said the coach.

The key player is the captain and midfielder, Iketleg Mfisha.  “He has great leadership skills and respects his team member as well as the coaching staff.  He will be assisted in the midfield by the youngster player in the team, Ati Tshabalala. Our key striker is Sello Pholoba.  He has scored 6 goals for us to date. “

Teams competing on Saturday :
Benny’s Sports Academy-Vhembe District
Mahupje Primary School-Mopani District
Mmamakwa Full Service School-Waterberg
Megoring Primary School-Capricorn District
Rammupundu Primary School-Sekhukhune District

Ends

About Danone
Danone Southern Africa is part of the Danone Group, one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world.  Danone is present in over 120 countries across all continents. With 160 plants and around 100,000 employees, the Danone Group is the number one worldwide for Fresh Dairy Products. Danone’s mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.
One of the core values of the Danone Nations Cup tournament is to encourage young people to believe in their dreams. Through this initiative Danone offers a sporting event that reaches out to and inspires millions of children all over the world









Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Ekurhuleni District start their Danone Nations Cup qualifiers



The Ekurhuleni District in Gauteng kicks-off their road to the under-12 Danone Nations Cup world cup, taking place in Morocco later this year, when the eight participating schools meet at Benoni Northerns on 15th April; the winning team will progress through to the regional finals taking place at Benoni Northerns on 14th May.

Competing teams are: Farrarmere Primary School, Rynfield Primary School, Tom Newby School, Benoni West Primary School, Summersfields Primary School, Laerskool Verkenner, Laerskool Westwood and Kathstan College 

The school that is tipped to win is Farrarmere Primary, who was beaten on penalties by Siphumelele Primary from KZN, at the national finals in 2014 and missed the opportunity to play in the world finals in Brazil.

They are back again this year, with a new coach, and are determined to go one step further this time.

“The year has started well for us,” said Coach Moeketsi “Pride” Moorosi, former Orlando Pirates professional player.  “We know all the schools we will be playing against and we have already won a prestigious tournament this year so the cluster games should be smooth sailing for us.  We are confident that we will be progressing to the next level in the tournament, but from then onwards we will be challenged.“

Gauteng is one of the most competitive provinces, the coach said, so meeting up with the schools from the other districts will not be easy, but he has faith that they will reach the provincial and national playoffs in the tournament.

“Positivity, focus and self belief are key principles to a winning team, but I also instil the importance of having fun and enjoying every game.  I tell my players that losing only means that you have to work extra hard next time around,” he said.

When the players found out that Moorosi is an ex-professional player, this made them even more hungry to become professional players themselves. “I try to be humble and grounded,” he said. “My history is my history and as a coach my job is to help these youngsters create their own history in football.”

Although Moorosi doesn’t like singling out individual players, he is excited about his captain, Trent Van Der Walt. “He plays centre back, he leads the game and the team,” he said. “He will go places in soccer should he decide to make a career out of it. He also plays rugby and I hear that he is good at it too.”

Last year Farrarmere had a lot of support from the parents and the coach hopes it will be the same this time around. “We believe in parent participation, it’s crucial for the kids,” Moorosi said. “The parents support the school in every way possible, they raise funds for the school, they pretty much support us in everything we do, so we are expecting parents at all our games cheering the boys.”

Ends

About Danone
Danone Southern Africa is part of the Danone Group, one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world.  Danone is present in over 120 countries across all continents. With 160 plants and around 100,000 employees, the Danone Group is the number one worldwide for Fresh Dairy Products. Danone’s mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.
One of the core values of the Danone Nations Cup tournament is to encourage young people to believe in their dreams. Through this initiative Danone offers a sporting event that reaches out to and inspires millions of children all over the world




Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Limpopo School participates in the Danone Nations Cup provincial finals for the first time!



Megoring Primary School from Polokwane in Limpopo’s Capricorn District, is through to the provincial finals of the under-12 Danone Nations Cup happening at the Seshego Stadium, Polokwane, on 18 April, for the first time and they are looking forward to advancing even further in the competition.

Samuel Mabitsela, their team manager explained that they have been participating in the tournament for a number of years, but have never reached the provincial level. “It is great that, after years of participating, we finally move a step closer to the nationals,” he said.

“Last year we came close but we were eliminated at the regional finals by Rev MP Malaatjie Primary School, who went on to win the provincials. It is particularly satisfying that we beat them 1-0 this time to get to the provincial finals.  It was definitely revenge time for our school.  We were a bit nervous at first hoping that history would not repeat itself – and it didn’t,” Mabitsela said.

Megoring came into this year’s tournament with only two of last year’s players so it is a relatively new team.  “The team is pretty inexperienced and I didn’t even expect them to win, but they surprised me,” he said.

The team is coached by Nathaniel Mankga, a teacher at the school who has doubled up as a coach for many years. “He does not have any qualifications but he very passionate about soccer and about nurturing the players’ talent,” Mabitsela said. “We are situated in a rural area with soccer as the only extra mural activity on offer and we use the sport to keep the kids active and off the streets.  We also use the sport to highlight the importance of staying healthy.”

The team has been very busy preparing for the finals, even through the school holidays. “When the schools open we only have a week until the provincial finals so it is important to keep the kids minds focused on the game.  Repetition is the key to success at this age and we need to keep the kids practicing,” said Mabitsela. “Beating last year’s provincial winners has boosted the player’s confidence and now we are eying the trip to Gauteng to compete in the national finals in June.”

The coach and manager have discussed strategy and told the boys that they need to dominate and lead from the first game of the day. “If we win the first game that will set a precedent for the upcoming games, and make the other teams aware that we have came prepared and ready to fight for the title,” Mabitsela said. “The kids are also looking forward to consuming the many Danone products such as Nutriday and Yogisip which is on offer in abundance at the provincial finals.”

ends
About Danone
Danone Southern Africa is part of the Danone Group, one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world.  Danone is present in over 120 countries across all continents. With 160 plants and around 100,000 employees, the Danone Group is the number one worldwide for Fresh Dairy Products. Danone’s mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.
One of the core values of the Danone Nations Cup tournament is to encourage young people to believe in their dreams. Through this initiative Danone offers a sporting event that reaches out to and inspires millions of children all over the world


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Sandton School registers for the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup again!


When the Johannesburg East cluster games in the under-19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation, gets going on 14th April, it’s going to be a new experience for Wendywood High School.

This is the first year in the soccer tournament for the school and, according to Mrs Keitumetsi Makola, sports director at the school and the team’s manager, the feeling was that, although the school has been playing soccer for many years, it was time to participate in a structured tournament.

“In the past we participated in our local league tournament only,” Makola said. “Participating in this tournament will definitely give the boys experience and it will expose them to endless possibilities. It’s our duty as teachers and coaches to help these kids get discovered by professional teams.”

As newcomers, Makola accepts that this year will be a learning phase for them. “We are not expecting major success from the team during this tournament,” she said. “We are a relatively small team with players aged 17, we only have one player who is 18 years old. That’s a disadvantage because most schools have 18 or 19 year olds playing for them,”

With that said, it does not mean that they don’t have their sights set on moving higher than the cluster level.  “The team trains twice a week and plays two friendly games each week,” Makola explained. “We are doing everything we can to make sure that the players are fit and ready for the games ahead.”

The schools Wendywood will meet in their cluster games are the same ones they play in their local league and, having won that league twice, they are confident, going into the competition.

“But, we are new in this tournament and I know how competitive it is so we are not putting pressure on the team at all. We just want the team to familiarise themselves with the level of competitiveness of this tournament,” Makola said. “We obviously want them to play their best and not back down, but we also have to take into consideration that experience plays a huge role.”

Makola has been following the tournament in previous years and she has told the team that this soccer tournament is the highest in schools sport.  This is where players get scouted, where they get to compete with the best. “Since 2011 the tournament has been won by academies, that alone shows how tough the tournament is,” she said.

The team is coached by Mxolisi Mhlungu, who is a SAFA qualified coach and has been with the school for a number of years now. “He has a very good relationship with the players and his selection policy of selecting younger players and developing them will pay off in the long run,” Makola said.


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Roodepan Primary School wins Danone Nations Cup Northern Cape Provincial Final



Roodepan Primary School from Francis Baard District, Upington, Kimberley have retained the Northern Cape Danone Nations Cup provincial trophy, after beating Keidebees Primary School 3-2 on penalties at the Xolisile Dicky Jacobs Stadium, Upington, over the weekend.

“It’s exciting and humbling to get the opportunity to represent the Northern Cape at the national finals again this year,” said team manager, Enricho Chapman. “The next step is to redeem ourselves at the nationals and we want to be the first team from the Northern Cape to win the trip to represent South Africa at the world finals in Morocco this year.”

Chapman credited the players for the win resulting from the hard work they put in from the cluster level of the tournament.  “The boys put in the time and effort.  They have been disciplined, focused and always listened to the coach (Christopher Jafta) and we are proud of them.”

There were two players from 2014 back in the team again; Given Beyers and Jemone Kaffer.  “Jemone, who we call ‘Messi’ is of particular value to the team,” said Chapman.  “He is not just a skilled player but is also a great motivator.”

Roodepan is boosted this year by youngsters from the Technical High Soccer Academy.  “This year we have become affiliated to the Academy and we educate all their youngsters.  Of the current team we have only two that are not affiliated to the academy,” said Chapman.  “This is very helpful as the boys have professional coaches looking after them and they know what to expect.  I think that we have an excellent chance of winning this year.”

Keidebees Primary was Roodepan’s toughest competition says Chapman, who went to college with the team manager, Mr Matthy.  “We both wanted to prove a point to each other.  It was a tough game and ended in a 0-0 draw but we managed to win on penalties.”

Chapman says that their finishing was their down fall last year. “We missed a lot of chances last year and we didn’t execute properly and this is what we will be focusing on over the next couple of months.  We know that the 2015 Free State school Nelson Mandela were also at the national last year.  We beat them so feel confident that we can do that this time around as well.”

One player that Chapman rates very highly is striker, Laumad Williams. “He scored 5 goals for us on Saturday and received the Danone Nations Cup top goalscorer.  This youngster is with the Academy and has a bright future ahead of him if he remains focused and believes in his dreams.”

Results

Roodepan Primary 0 (2) vs. Dr Izak van Niekerk 0 (1)
Rapelang Primary 0 (1) vs.  Keidebees Primary 0 (2)
Van Rensburg Primary 0 vs Roodepan Primary 1
Dr Izak van Niekerk 1 vs.  Rapelang Primary 0
Keidebees Primary 1 vs. Van Rensburg Primary 2
Roodepan Primary 4 vs. Rapelang Primary 0
Dr Izak van Niekerk 0 vs.  Keidebees Primary 1
Rapelang Primary 1 vs. Van Rensburg Primary 0
Keidebees Primary 1 vs. Roodepan Primary 0
Van Rensburg Primary 1 vs. Dr Izak van Niekerk 0
Final
Keidebees Primary 0 (2) vs. Roodepan Primary 0 (3)