Can Harmony increase their Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup winnings this year?

To date, Harmony High School from Virginia in the Free State is the most successful school in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, having won R2,2 million in prize money between 2010 and 2012. According to Team Manager Hector Mokhali, the team competing in the 2013 Free State Provincial finals, happening on Saturday, 7 September, at the Mangaung Outdoor Sports  Centre in Bloemfontein, might be young and inexperienced, but have what it takes to win some of the R3.2 prize money on offer this year.

The school won R700 000 in 2010 after finishing in second place and winning the provincial finals, in 2011 the school won R1 million first prize and in 2012 finished in third place taking home R500 000.   “The funds we have won to date have made a massive difference to the school learner’s lives, and the surrounding community,” said Mokhali.  “We have a 44-seater bus, 3 mini-buses, a TV and projector, sprinkler system to keep our sports fields in top condition and we have even donated R20 000 worth of sports kit to an underprivileged school in our community.”

But Mokhali says there is still a lot that is needed and the school Under-19 team is working hard at training to finish in first place next Saturday.  “We want a projector in every classroom,” he said.

Harmony won the Lejwelepotsoa district playoffs, despite a team that consists mainly of new players.  “These players are new to this competition and will be a little bit nervous, but we are expecting them to seize the opportunity, and follow in the previous players footsteps.” The team has played 14 games in the tournament so far, and has won them all. “Our aim is to continue our winning streak,” Mokhali said. “At the same time, we encourage our kids to have fun.  Commitment is what has brought us to where we are today.”

Mokhali believes the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Cup plays a huge role in soccer development in the country. “I think it helps young players as well as schools and community at large.  South African soccer has improved as a result and it particularly benefits the rural areas as they get the opportunity to see the best coaching and players in the country and improve their own game. Coaches also get to attend SAFA coaching clinics and then go back into the communities to put this into practise.

However Mokhali believes South Africa still has a long way to go to compete internationally.  “In many parts of the world there are extensive and sophisticated programmes with kids entering them from the age of 5. We do not have that in our country. Our clubs are also not as wealthy and don’t have very sophisticated programmes in place. That’s why competitions like the Sanlam Kay Motsepe School Cup are so important,” he said.

Competing teams:

Fezile Dabi	Dr Reginald Cingo High
Lejweleputsoa	Harmony High
Thabo Mofutsanyane	Mohato Secondary
Xhariep	Lere la thuto
Xhariep	Ipetleng High
Motheo

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.

Commitment could help school win KZN Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup provincial finals

When the KwaZulu-Natal Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup provincial final kick’s-off on Saturday, at the SAI Military Base in Ladysmith, there will be 12 district winners competing for the R100 000 prize and a spot in the national finals.  Kadwa Secondary School, representing the Amajuba district, will be bringing along a team that has been together for the past four years and therefore know each other very well and therefore play very well as a team, this just could be the winning formula, says coach,  Thamsanqa Mlambo.

“This year my team is exceptional,” said Mlambo.  “They have the will to win and know each other so well they can anticipate what each person is going to do next.  I believe this could just be what will be the difference between winning and losing.”

Training has been increased to four times a week to brush up.  “Looking at the list of schools participating it will not be easy as there is a lot of talent, but we have the fighting spirit. Further, the team has a number of good players who need to be exposed to scouts from the professional academies and this will be their chance, Mlambo believes.

One such player is Mandla Mokwena, the team captain.  “After becoming captain he has brought a change in the team, the boys relate to him and they respect him,” Mlambo said.

Mandla has been playing for the Angel United club since the age of 8 and training with older boys has also helped him develop quickly.

“Since becoming captain, I have made sure that we connect as a team, I have been working with the coach, developing new training methods, and mainly focusing on our physical strength,” he said. “I can see a big difference in the team since last year.  We understand each other and we are now able to handle criticism from each other a little better than before.”

MandIa sees himself playing for a PSL team one day. “I have not attended trials yet, but I remain hopeful that I will be able to attend trials for a development program. My talent is still raw, so joining a development program will enhance my soccer skills, tactics and physical strength.”

The competing teams include:

Amajuba	Kadwa Secondary
Ilembe	Shakaskraal Secondary
Umgungundlovu	Sibongumusa Secondary
Sisonke	Karl Malcolmes High
Umkhanyakude	Ezibukweni High
Uthukela	Wembesi High
Ugu	Buhlebethu High
Umzinyathi	Buhlebuyeza High
Uthungulu	Welabasha High
Umlazi	Hillview Secondary
Pinetown	Kwe Sethu High
Vryheid	Phumanyova High

ENDS

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.

R100 000 on offer for Eastern Cape Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Provincial Winner

The Eastern Cape provincial finals of the Sanlam Kay Motsepe School Cup take place at the Dumpsey Adams stadium in Queenstown on Saturday, starting at 9am. Amongst the competing teams is Kuyasa Combined School, who are making their third appearance in this lucrative tournament that carries a first prize of R1 million.

In 2010 and 2011 the school managed to get to the provincial finals, but never made it further and in 2012 they were knocked out in the regional stage of the competition.

Coach, Bongani Ngqokoqwa, says they are better prepared this time. “The team is strong and tight, we have a better bond than ever before. They are disciplined and there is more communication on the field during play,” he said.

Should they win the R100 000 in prize money that goes to all provincial champions in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, Ngqokoqwa says the money will be used to upgrade their soccer field as they currently have to use the local municipal grounds.

The team is training hard, Ngqokoqwa says, and playing friendlies against local teams in the area. “We are working on stamina and pace,” Ngqokoqwa says. “We don’t know what to expect from the other teams at the provincial finals, so will prepare well and not leave anything to chance.” Ngqokoqwa has been coaching for 20 years and, although he has no formal qualifications, he has a passion for the game that makes up for it.

18 year-old defender Anele Mhlabeni is one of the players Kuyasa will be looking to for success on Saturday. Anele grew up admiring his brother, Vuyolwethu Mhlabeni, who was a local soccer player.  He also plays for a local club, Young Ideas.  He explains. ““Soccer is my life, I love the sport and I am more disciplined now that I have started to take the game more seriously.  Playing in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup tournament is particularly exciting for me.  My favourite team is Mamelodi Sundowns and I hope there will be scouts there on Saturday as I am playing my best soccer at the moment and hope they will pick me to attend trials..

Also at the provincial finals on Saturday will be Ncedo High School. The school finished in third place in 2011 spending their R500 000 on building a computer lab and bought a mini bus to transport sports teams to attend games. Last year they did not make it to the Eastern Cape provincial playoffs.  Coach, Siphiwo Mtshingila, says they worked hard to set that right this time round.

“We are definitely more disciplined this time around,” he says. “In2012 we weren’t focused and over-confident after winning the provincial title in 2011.” Should the school go all the way this year and win the R1 million 1^st prize, Mtshingila says they have ambitious plans which include increasing the number of computers in the lab, introducing a learner driver programme and putting up a perimeter fence.

As part of his motivation ahead of the provincial finals, the coach has told the team that there will be scouts from the clubs there, so the players have to do their best.

The Ncedo captain this year is Onesimo Maxegwana. The 19 year old central defender has been playing the game since 8 years old when he joined a local club, Real City.  “I have heard that Mamelodi Sundowns will only take players that are clever on and off the field and I have worked hard at all my school subjects to ensure that if I get approached I can confidently accept.  I want to be a role model to my siblings and teach them to dream big – but I have to do that first.”

Games begin at 9am.  Participating teams:

District	School
Joe Gqabi	Malcolmes High
Alfred Nzo	Khanya Naledi Combined
OR Tambo	Ndamase SSS
Cacadu	Kuyasa Combined
Nelson Mandela Bay	Ncedo SSS
Amathole	Executive Academy
Chris Hani	Phakamani SSS

Clapham High School from Pretoria win the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Gauteng Provincial Final and R100 000

After a tense penalty shootout at the Muckleneuk Stadium, Mamoldi, on Saturday, Clapham High School beat Rosina Sedibane Secondary School to clinch the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Gauteng title, and the R100 000 prize money that goes with it. Both Clapham and Rosina Sedibane will now play in the national finals of the competition, in Durban, next month.

The majority of the Clapham players are part of the Mamelodi Sundowns Academy. They train at the club and interact with the Sundowns first team. The experience gained there played a big part in their winning the title.  To cheer the boys on there was a large Sundowns contingent including coaches, players and administration staff, as well as the rest of the Clapham scholars

Clapham eliminated the Gauteng defending champion, and last year’s national Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup winners, School of Excellence, beating them 2-0 in the first round of matches. Clapham have not lost a single game in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup tournament so far this year.

There were some surprises on Saturday, one being Sunwood Park High School, who competed in the provincial finals for the first time, and took the bronze medals. The school is based in Boksburg and houses the Deamos Academy, which was started in 2010 by international players, including Patrick Vieira currently a development manager at Manchester City.  The school has a strong connection to France and, in fact, some of the players are going to a training camp there in September and will be watched by scouts from all over the world.

Another school playing for the first time in the tournament was Kibler Park’s Waterstone High School.

The school is relatively new and only started playing soccer last year. They don’t have an under-19 team yet, so sent their u-16s to the tournament.  Their coach, Eoin Fray is from Ireland. He has a Uefa Level A coaching certificate and saw an advert for the coaching position at Waterstone on the FAI Academy website in Ireland. He applied from Ireland, got the job and has been with the team since January.

It is his first time in SA and he hopes to use his experience from Ireland to build the team. The players are talented, but not tactically aware and they lack technique.  “The qualifiers were easy”, he said. “The teams we played were weak and we weren’t sure how we would go in the provincial finals. We got beaten quite convincingly and I realise we are inexperienced and I am going to have to work on their confidence. I’m obviously disappointed at not winning a game, but it is a start and I now know what SA football is all about and next year we’ll be back with a completely different team. It’s been an excellent experience for the players.”

FINAL RESULTS:

Group A                                                                               Group B

Clapham (D3)                                                                     Sunward Park (D6)

School of Excellence ((D17)                                         Waterstone College ((D11)

Tharabollo (D8)                                                                 Rosina Sedibane (D4)

Mohloli ((D7)                                                                     Thaba Jabula ((D10)

1.       Clapham  2 vs 0 School of Excellence

Goals:  Ntando Ngubane (2)

2.       Tharabollo 0 vs 3 Mohloli

Goals:  Mavuso Mahlangu (2), Teboho Ngwenya

3.       Sunward Park 6 vs Waterstone College 0

Goals: Malesela Monene (4), Thandolewethu Maghina, Witness Mathebula

4.       Rosina Sedibane 1  vs  Thaba Jabula 0

Goal:  Skumbujo Mazibuko

5.       School of Excellence 7   vs   Tharabollo 0

Goals: Moshihlaga Abednigo, Mahlambi Pakamani (3), Thabo Lesibe, Gemedi Makhanya, Moshane Kabelo,

6.       Mohloli 0  vs  Clapham 2

Goals: Percy Tau, Simamkele Mantla

7.       Rosina Sedibane 5 vs Waterstone 0

Goals:  Kwela Zulu, Skumbuzo Mazibuko (2), Motsiri Mushama (2)

8.       Sunward Park 4  vs Thaba Jabula 0

Goals:  Thandolwethu Maqhina, Malesela Monone (2), Witness Mathebula

9.       Clapham 10 v Tharabollo 0

Goals:  Motoro Monyai, Themba Madonsela, Thabang Mothigwane (3), Nyembezi Setelele (4) Simamkele Mantla

10.   School of Excellence 1  vs  Mohloli 0

Goal:  Jeffrey Lekanyane

11.   Sunward Park  0 vs Rosina Sedibane 1

Goals: Kunele Zulu

12.   Waterstone College 2 vs Thaba Jabula 3

Goals: WSC:  Clinton Veloza (2)

TJ:  Nhlanhla Mthinyane, Katlegho Kallele, Mangaliso Eland (P)

13.   FINAL:  Rosina Sedibane 0  vs  Clapham HS 0 (Clapham won on penalties).

Mamelodi Sundowns U-19 development players will play for Clapham High in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Gauteng Provincial Finals

When Clapham High School takes to the field in the Gauteng provincial finals of the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup competition at the Muckleneuk Stadium in Mamelodi on Saturday, they will be fielding what is, in effect, the Mamelodi Sundowns development team.  One of the players has already had his first call up for the SA under-20 national team.  Whether that will be enough to see them through to the national finals in Durban next month, remains to be seen, but they certainly go into the day as one of the favoured teams.

Johannes Petje, the team’s manger, confirmed the strong Sundowns link.  “We use the Sundowns field to train on, and sometimes the boys practice with the Sundowns first team and get a glimpse of what it is like to be competing in the PSL. The boys are often invited to watch Sundowns first team in action.”

Petje is hoping that the experience will help them make the national finals and represent the province. More than half of the 2012 Clapham team is back again this year and Petje believes that consistency will be one of their strengths.  “We try and let the boys focus on the game at hand and not to look at future or past games,” he said. “Discipline on and off the field is very important. We stress that everyone is there to play football in order to win.”

That approach has meant that the team has not lost a single match in the tournament so far. Petje says they have experience in the tournament and know what is expected of them. “We also encourage the boys to live a healthy lifestyle, and tell them how to behave and that a positive attitude is needed.  These are important in such a massive tournament.”

Petje singles out two players, central defender Kgotso Mohare, the team captain, and striker Percy Tau as his key players.

It’s Kgotso’s first time in the tournament. He started playing soccer at the age of 6 and was at HB Nyathi Secondary School before being scouted to play at the Sundowns Academy and was placed at Clapham.

Kgotso sees his manager: Mr. Johannes Petje as his role model. “He made me a better soccer player and believes in me more than I do in myself,” he said.

The coaching approach at Clapham is unique, Kgotso believes, and it will give them an edge. “We concentrate on control of the ball and not holding onto it for too long. We are taught not to kick unnecessary long balls and strive to score more goals.”

Percy Tau has played for the U-20 National Team and Petje describes him as a “special player, humble and disciplined. He takes football seriously and sees the field as a platform to display his skills.”

Tau is originally from Witbank in Mpumalanga and is one of 8 children. His mother is a domestic worker and his father is a long distance driver. He was spotted by Mamelodi Sundowns scout Harris Choeu in 2010 while he was at Phakama Combined School. He joined Clapham in 2012 and was selected to play for the SA under-20 National Squad away against Botswana and Nigeria. A tour he believes has made him a better player.  “I believe that tour was a good learning session for me because my aspiration is to be an international soccer player. It prepared me for the bigger dream I have as a soccer player.”

It remains to be seen whether Clapham can cause an upset beating seasoned Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup contenders like reigning champions, the SASFA Sports School of Excellence and Rosina Sedibane, who recently returned from a stint in England.

Ends

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.

Benny's Sports Development and Adacemy wins Limpopo Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup provincial finals for a third time.

Benny’s Sports Academy has won the Limpopo provincial title in the under-19 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup for the third year in a row. They beat FK Tijiane High School in a penalty shootout in the final, in Giyani last Saturday.  The win earns the school R 100 000 in prize money and both teams that played in the final now go through to compete in the national finals in Durban in September. 

David Mufamadi, owner of the academy, and manager of the team, says they will be discussing with the schools governing body how that money will be utilised. They used their 2011 winnings to buy new desks for the school and the R100 00 won last year went towards renovating the school hall.

Although the school has been at the Sanlam Kay Motsepe national finals twice before, they have never done very well there. Mufamadi explains that last year’s team was affected by the death of one of the school’s younger players at another tournament, which led to a drop in team morale. “We are up for the challenge this year,” he said. “We are a boarding school and most of the players are boarders, which makes it easier for coaches to have more time for training with them and be more flexible.”

“Further, all our coaches are permanent staff members who do not teach classes, so they focus on their teams only. We only hire coaches with SAFA coaching qualifications, or who are trained in sports management and/or sports sciences. I believe that this year we will succeed in the national finals as we have never been so ready,” said Mufamadi.

Mufamadi himself was a professional footballer in his day playing for Dynamos FC. He started Benny’s Academy as he believed that there was so much talent in Limpopo but there was no facility to develop the players further.

He has identified strength conditioning as an area that needs improvement prior to the national finals. “The players get tired quickly and seem to lose energy fast,” he says. “So we are working on that.”

Mufumadi sees striker, Lucky Marubini Manyane as a key players for the team. Lucky started playing soccer at the age of 7 and joined the Tab All Stars club in Madodonga Village, Venda at the age of 10.

He is currently completing Grade 12, focusing on commercial subjects, his favourite being Business Economics. The youngest of four lives with his mother, who owns a local pub, and older siblings (three older sisters).  His father, a professional footballer with Dynamos FC, died in 2009.

“My dream is to play for TUKS in the Premier League next year when I leave school as I want to play football but also study Economics at the University of Pretoria. He was invited for trials at Orlando Pirates but he was deemed too short. But that has not discouraged him.

His biggest inspiration is his mother. “She is the one who always tells me to never give up on my dreams. She encourages me and tells me that many people from poor communities have survived through pure talent and through their passion for soccer.”

In the meantime, he is looking forward to the national finals, and hopes the team will be successful, and that he will be spotted by a scout and invited to join a club.

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.

Sebetwane Secondary School surprise winner of the North West Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Provincial Finals

Success at last! It has taken Sebetwane Secondary School five years to finally win the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup North West provincial finals.  The win means R 100 000 in prize money for the school, and a place at next month’s national finals. Sebetwane Secondary beat Freedom Park High School in the final match of the day.

Ike Lebatle, the team coach, says the school, and the entire village they are located in are celebrating their victory and the principal gave the team an hour off to go around the school and celebrate with their school mates. “Last Saturday we even went out to the village to celebrate with the community because they have been showing us support all the time,” he said.

Lebatle says it has not been decided what the prize money will be spend on. “The school will have to sit with the School Governing Body and they will decide,” he said, “but I’m sure the money will go into sports projects. The school does not have a proper soccer field, we need to build one from scratch.”

Sol Plaatje Secondary School, the defending Champions, was the schools toughest opponents said Lebatle.  “Before the tournament we spoke about defeating Sol Plaatje and it was our ultimate goal and we were happy that we did that.”

The team has begun preparations of the national finals. “The celebrations are over and the hard work has begun,” Lebatle said. “We train 4 times a week and play a friendly match every Saturday. I am working hand in hand with other coaches, to help me with developing our technique. We know that there will be tough competition, so we are covering all bases.”

Lebatle is motivating his players with the thought of winning the R1 million first prize; “The boys must leave the school for the national finals knowing that a soccer field is being built and that they were the ones that made it happen. Their names will be forever remembered in the school. ”

Provincial Final Results

Sebetwane (4)    VS Maitemogelo (2)

Freedom Park (1) VS Sol Plaatje (3)

Sol Plaatje (3) VS Sebetwane (4)

Maitemogelo (2) VS Freedom Park (1)

Freedom Park (1) VS Sebetwane (4)

Sol Plaatje (3) VS Maitemogelo (2)

Final Log Positions

 Sebetwane Secondary School

Freedom Park Secondary School

Maitemogelo Secondary School

Sol Plaatje Secondary School

Ends.

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.

SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN DANONE NATIONS CUP WORLD FINALS TO GET LESSONS ON EATING PLANS

In 2000, when Groupe Danone conceptualised the Danone Nations Cup, which has grown into the biggest football tournament for kids between 10 and 12 years old in the world, with over 3.2 million kids from 32 countries getting involved every year, the aim was to use football to teach kids the importance of developing healthy eating habits.

The 2013 Danone Nations Cup World Final, happening in the UK from 3 – 6 September, will support the ‘Eat Like a Champ’ campaign, an award-winning healthy eating education programme for primary schools created by Danone UK in collaboration with the British Nutrition Foundation. Originally launched in 2010 the number of schools has grown from 25 to 1000 in 2013.

The objective of ‘Eat Like a Champ’ is to help tackle the growing issue of poor nutrition amongst children by inspiring them to adopt the healthier eating habits of stars they admire – like SA and World Final ambassadors, Neil Tovey and Zinedine Zidane.

During the World Finals every participant, including the 12-players from Daniye Primary School, who will be representing South Africa, will have six lessons:  "eat well", "5 a day", "nutrients and water", "healthy lunches", "snack swaps" and "energy balance". Each lesson is designed to teach children how to make healthy choices about what they eat and drink, and is supported by tasting sessions. At the end of each lesson, the children will be rewarded with a short film.

“The World Finals aims to give children a truly unforgettable experience,” said Chantel Ehlers, DNC communications specialist. “Our team, Daniye Primary, comes from a small, poor community in Bushbuckridge and will benefit from this programme.  We believe it will be perhaps the most valuable lesson the kids will learn – and will last a lifetime.”

In 2012 The Children’s Food Trust, based in the UK, conducted an independent study to establish whether ‘Eat Like a Champ’ makes a difference to participants’ eating patterns. The research found pupils who participated shifted their behaviour towards healthier eating habits. They ate on average an equivalent of two more portions of fruit and vegetables per week, and their consumption of foods such as biscuits and crisps dropped by the equivalent of one chocolate bar per week.

The draw for the World Finals will take place in London on Monday, 19 August and the SA team leaves for London on 2 September.  The final day of play will happen at the renowned Wembley Stadium.

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

Previous Winner through to Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Gauteng Provincial Finals

Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sport School, from Laudium in Pretoria, is through to the Gauteng Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup provincial finals taking place at the Muckleunek Stadium in Mamelodi on Saturday, 17 August. Games start at 9am.

They were runners-up in the Gauteng finals last year and finished 3^rd in the national finals. The team’s coach, Tumelo Malabo, says they are hoping to do better this year and are looking forward to the upcoming challenges. “We are planning to win the provincial title and qualify for the national finals again,” he says. “We have been playing in this tournament for many years now and know what is expected of us. The challenge is that the standard of football in Gauteng is increasing all the time and we know that it will not be easy.”

As third place-winners in the competition last year, the school won a total of R500 000 in prize money. They have submitted their wish list to the trust that administers the prize money and are awaiting the implementation of it. “We asked for the school fields to be improved, for washing machines and dryers to be installed, and for big screen TVs,” Malabo said.

Rosina Sedibane expected to make it to the knockout stages of the tournament, so they have been focussed on preparing for just that, Malabo says. “We practise 5 times a week and make sure that we have a friendly match every Saturday. After every game we look back to see where we went wrong and where we are lacking in our tactics. We are currently rectifying our defensive tactics and coming up with ways to create opportunities to score goals.”

Three of the players from 2012, Thabo Moloi, Snethemba Ngidi and Cebo Meyiwa, are now playing for SuperSport United.  None of them could play in the national finals last year because they had commitments for the South African U20 team. “Without them we still finished third.  We are now using the boys to come and help us coach and even teach the youngsters a few tricks that they have learned,” Malabo said. “They are giving back to the school and I believe that their presence at the school is significant to the others that aspire to be like them, they encourage the other players and they look up to them.”

The 8 teams competing include:

Mohloli High School (Sedibeng East)

Rosina Sedibane (Tshwane South)

Clapham High School (Tshwane North)

SAFA School of Excellence (Ekurhuleni North)

Thaba Jabula (Johannesburg North)

Tharabollo High School (Sedibeng West

Sunward Park (Ekurhuleni South)

Waterstone College (Johannesburg South)

Ends.

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.

Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup player, Thuto Mphahlele, debutes for Supersport United

Thuto Mphahlele, captain of the victorious School of Excellence team in the 2012 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, made his professional soccer debut recently when he played for SuperSport United against the visiting Manchester City team.

He feels it is an honour to be playing for SuperSport. “So far I have played one game for the team, it was against Manchester City and we won 2-0.  I was nervous and excited at the same time; I could not believe that I was playing against a renowned International soccer team. That’s where I see myself in the years to come, playing for an International team.”With the PSL League starting this weekend, judging by his performance in the pre-season build up, he could well be in line for the PSL Rookie of the Year.

The 19 year-old defender comes from a soccer-loving family.  His father, Kgosi Mphahlele, was a soccer player, he used to play for a local team in Mahikeng and Thuto started taking an interest in the game at the age of 9 years, playing in the yard around the house, and for his school, Sol Plaatje Primary School.

He started at the School Of Excellence at the age of 12 as he wanted to attend a sports academy because he knew his soccer career would be developed and taken care of there.

In 2007 he attended trials at the SuperSport Tottenham Hotspur Development Academy, and although he wasn’t accepted, he never gave up on that dream. “In 2011 I went back for trials again and this time around I got accepted and since then I have been playing for their development team,” he said. “Then in January 2013 I got signed up by Supersport United FC, which has always been my dream.”

Thuto was part of the School of Excellence team in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe competition for five years from 2008 to 2012. The highlight was undoubtedly last year when they won the competition, which meant they earned the school R1.1 million. “It was a huge achievement for us as a team and for the school.  Knowing that I led the team to victory as captain was special to me.”

Two of his team mates are also now playing professional soccer - Stanley Muishond, who is at Vasco Da Gama FC and Tshepo Mabuya who also plays for SuperSport United. “I think that the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup is very important because the players get to be seen by scouts from the PSL teams,” Thuto says. “If it was not for the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, I would not be where I am today. I admire Mr Motsepe for his dedication to soccer development.”

Thuto has been back to his old school where he gave a talk to the current players. “I told them to love and respect the game of soccer, if they ever make it big they should always remain content and respectful.”

Although his dream is to be a professional player, Thuto understands the importance of getting a qualification as well. “I am currently studying Accountancy through Unisa, I am a firm believer in education and my father is quite strict when it comes to education.  At the moment I am enjoying my time at SuperSport and I look forward to playing more games for the team.”

ends

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.