Experience could be what East High needs to win the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup

Bojosi Manjoe is playing in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup competition for the third year in a row but this time for his new school, East High, in the Mpumalanga provincial finals in Bushbuckridge on Saturday, 20 July.

He played in the national finals of the competition twice – for Free State champions Harmony High School – before being spotted by scouts from National First Division club Sivutsa Stars FC who invited him to trails at the club.

“My agent, Timothy Zukazi had a meeting with the coach for Sivutsa Stars FC and they decided that I should attend trials in December. I went along and trained with their team. They were impressed and they decided to sign me on to their team,” Bojosi said.

Bojosi is 19 years old and hails from Bloemfontein where he lives with his grandparents and younger sister – his parents passed away when he was a little boy.  “Currently I live in Mpumalanga, in a house belonging to Sivutsa Stars.,” he said. “It’s very different to where I’m originally from. People from here are very friendly. The atmosphere is totally different from the one back home in Free State.”

He is currently in grade 12 and says his studies are going great. “I’m focused on my school work and determined to pass grade 12. After matriculating I plan on taking a year off from school. I’m going to dedicate that year for soccer and see where my soccer career takes me, but I want to one day become a geologist as I know that soccer is for the young.”

East High coach Sibusiso Chiloeng said Bojosi was key to the team getting to the provincial finals. “He might have only scored one goal but is excellent at setting up for others to score. He is a skilled footballer who has the ability to anticipate the opponents’ moves.”

Bojosi believes the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup has helped him in sharpening his football skills. “Each and every time we meet up and play with different schools we learn new skills and tactics from those other schools. It is a great tournament as it unveils talent from rural areas which usually does not get recognised that often,” he said.

In five years’ time he sees himself playing for a top team in the PSL preferably Kaizer Chiefs. “I would love to have finished my studies to become a geologist by then,” he said

About the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup:

·       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.