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, 25^th 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