Benny's Care Sports Academy qualified for Limpopo Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Provincial Finals

Benny’s Care Sports Academy is one of the schools that has qualified to play in the Limpopo provincial finals of the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, run under the auspices of the South African Schools Football Association (SASFA), in Nkowankowa Stadium, Tzaneen on 10 August. Promising star, Andrew Kabota has been identified as key to the school’s success. What helps is the fact that this will be his second season in the tournament.

Midfielder, Kabota, grew up watching his father, Andrew “Ace” Kabota playing for Black Leopards. Ace was a well-known player in Limpopo and it was from him that Andrew got his love for the game, and his soccer genes. ”But as a child I wanted to be a dancer,” said Kabota.  “But my father didn’t approve of that, and I didn’t want to disappoint him. So, while I still like dancing, listening to house music and playing tennis, soccer is my first love.”

Andrew is 18 years old, and in grade 12. This is his second year playing in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Cup competition and he describes it as a great experience. “It gives us an opportunity to be exposed to people from professional teams that can potentially sign us on.” He believes the team has a good chance of going further in the competition this year. “Last year there was little communication in the team, and we had no respect. We have definitely improved since then,” he said.

Andrew is currently also playing for Musina United FC, a local team in Limpopo. Looking at the future, Andrew sees himself playing for one if the teams in the PSL. He is good at numbers and is doing well at mathematics at school, where he is studying commercial subjects. He wants to study auditing when he leaves school.

If he has to identify one player who he regards as a soccer legend, it would be former Kaizer Chiefs legend Doctor Khumalo who he regards as a grounded and respectable professional player. “He is currently the head coach for the under 17 Kaizer Chiefs team and he gives back to the development of soccer in this country,” he said.

About the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup:

·       The tournament is run under the auspices of the South Africa Football Association (SASFA)

   Named after prominent businessman Patrice Motsepe’s late mother, the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup offers the biggest prize money at school level in Africa (R3.4 million in total). 

·       The sponsors are:  Sanlam, the Motsepe Foundation and the Sanlam Ubuntu-Botho Community Development Trust.

·       The primary objective of the tournament is to revive the culture of school football amongst students between the age of 16 and 19 years old.

·       The tournament also gives players the opportunity to showcase their skills to soccer scouts with the talented players being recruited into development structures to be nurtured and shaped into professional players.