The KwaZulu-Natal under-19 Kay
Motsepe Schools Cup Provincial soccer finals take place on 19th and
20th September at the Northdale Stadium in Pietermaritzburg where 12
regional finalists will battle it out to win the R100 000 as provincial
champions and get the chance to compete in the national finals.
A contender that has been playing
in the tournament for five years, and for the first time has managed to win
through to the provincial finals is Sukuma Comprehensive School of
Pietermaritzburg who will be representing the UMgungundlovu district.
“We have been looking forward to
reaching this level for a very long time now and for some of the players this
is the last time they will be playing for the school, so it’s important,” said
team manager and coach, Xolani Mpungose.
Although this is the first time
this team has qualified for the Kay Motsepe provincial finals, they have played
at this level in one of the other SASFA tournaments, so the team knows about
the pressure that comes with playing at this level, and will be ready.
“The current under-19 team has
been playing together since 2012,” Mpungose said. “I am lucky to have a good
crop of boys that are dedicated and give 110% in training and in matches. We
have been growing every year.”
The journey leading up to the
provincial finals has been impressive. The team played 7 games and won them
all, conceding just one goal. Their highest score was 8-0 against Mpungose
Secondary School in the district finals.
Maritzburg is hosting the
provincial finals, so Mpungose expects a big home crowd to be watching them
play. “Our plan for the provincials is to capitalise on our strengths, we have
to be quick on our feet because we do not have tall players,” he said. “We are
not threatened by any school, although we are expecting tough competition and
we have prepared for it.”
Mpungose does not see their lack
of provincial experience in this tournament as a disadvantage. “Every year new
schools come through to the provincials because they have grown from their past
failures. We have been preparing for this since 2012. We have a good team
that supports each other.”
“It’s all about preparing the
team mentally and physically, we don’t put the team under pressure. At the end
of the day there has to be one winner and a lot of losers, we always tell the
team to go out there play soccer and they must remember to have fun and take in
as much as they can.”
Mpungose does not have any formal
coaching qualifications, but did play for KZN University while studying.
He also teaches accounting, Maths and Economic Management Science at the school.
“Soccer has always been my
passion. From an early age I knew that I wanted to be associated with soccer,
and as a teacher I now have that opportunity” he said.
The teams that will be
participating in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial finals are:
Empangeni High School - UThungulu District
Zwelethu High School - UMlazi District
Umqhele High School - Pinetown District
Umthwazi High School - UMkhanyakude District
Dingukwazi High School – Zululand District
Guzana Secondary School - ILembe District
Sukuma Comprehensive School – UMgungundlovu District
Ingabade High School - Amajuba District
TBC-UMzinyathi District
TBC-Sisonke District
TBC-UGu District
TBC-UThukela District
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