Harmony High School Do It Again

Harmony High School of Virginia continued their remarkable record of success in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup competition by winning the Free State provincial title in Bloemfontein last weekend after beating Tlokola Secondary School 1 – 0 in the final. 

The school is the most successful in the history of the competition, already winning am impressive R2.6 million, and this win means they get an additional R100 000 - and a chance to add to the impressive amount at the national finals. 

The school has used a large portion of the past winnings to purchase a fleet of busses to transport its learners and, according to coach Hector Mokhali, they will use the R100 000 as Free State champions to purchase more vehicles to help ease the transport problems the school faces due to its growing numbers.

The school missed out on winning the provincials in 2013 as they had brought in a young team in preparation for this year.  “We did not expect to win last year as our team was young and inexperienced, but this year is a completely different story,” he said.

“We have worked very hard at training. We have a very dedicated team and a coach, Pisto Mokoena, who strives for success. This year we reached the provincial finals only conceding 2 goals; one during the cluster level games and the other during the provincial finals; that certainly shows that our defence is a force to be reckoned with. We have not lost a single game this year in this tournament, and we have played 8 games leading up to the provincials”

Mokhali didn't think the standard at the provincial finals was as high as it was last year. “This year four of the six schools were competing in the provincials for the first time which was a huge advantage for us veterans of this tournament.”

Preparations for the national finals have now begun and the plan is to focus on one game at a time. “We will be playing against competitive schools that want to win the national title too.” Mokhali believes Gauteng’s  Holy Trinity High School, the Supersport Academy’s school will be their toughest competition. “But we have more experience than them so hopefully that will count for us,” he said.

Results

Stream A                                                                                            

Tlokola Secondary 1 RT Mokgopa 1

RT Mokgopa 2 vs Relebohile Sibulele Secondary 0

Tlokola Secondary 3  Relebohile Sibulele Secondary 0  

                                                                                   

Stream B

Thabang Secondary School 0 Metsimaphodi High 0

Metsimaphodi High 0 Harmony High School 2

Thabang Secondary School 1  vs Harmony High School 3

Final

Tlokola Secondary School 0 Harmony High School 1

Youngster from KZN about to embark on a football journey of a lifetime!

In the years to come, there’s no doubt that Ludwe Mtsholo will look back on 2014 as a very significant year in his life.

The 12 year-old has already had mixed feelings about it. He is sad that he narrowly missed out on an opportunity to attend a private school on a scholarship, but he is excited at the prospect of going on his first overseas trip, to do what he really loves doing there, in what he believes is the greatest soccer nation in the world – Brazil.

Ludwe’s school, Siphumele Primary School of Inanda in KwaZulu-Natal, is the 2014 Danone Nations Cup champion, and that has won the school the right to represent the country at the World Finals in Sao Paulo from 14^th to the 16^th November.

It’s going to be an experience of a lifetime, Ludwe said, and it has made up for the disappointment of not being chosen to attend one of the Allan Gray Foundation placement schools after being chosen to write the placement exams.

Going to Brazil is a dream come true and Ludwe intends making the most of it. “My team mates and I talk about Brazil all the time,” he said. “We talk about what we want to see in Brazil, and how we are going to play when we get there. I know we are going there to play in a tournament but at the same time I want to have fun, meet people from different cultures and learn how to say basic words in different languages.”

It’s going to be a far cry from Emangweni in Inanda where Ludwe lives with his parents, brother and sister. His mother is unemployed, having left her job when his six month old sister was born, and his father is a part-time security guard, so the family struggles financially. “But my parents support me in everything I do, particularly my mother,” Ludwe said. “She is always there for me when I get back from school and we chat a lot. She encourages me to do well at and to look at the world as one of many opportunities. She believes that winning the trip to Brazil will help me broaden my mind and learn that there is a whole world out there filled with opportunities.”

Ludwe’s brother, Maneliso, is 16 years old and he has been the soccer inspiration in Ludwe’s life. He introduced him to the game when he was 8. “I used to watch his games at the local Inanda All Stars club and I eventually also joined the club. The coach there said I had natural ability and he has helped me a lot with my game.”

It was his mother who bought him his first pair of soccer boots. “She knew I was happiest playing soccer, so she bought me boots and a ball, even though it wasn’t easy.” he said.

Ludwe describes himself as an introvert. When he is not playing soccer he prefers staying at home reading. He loves school and is a straight A grade student, excelling at English and Maths.

At the moment his focus is on preparing to play in Brazil. “I have been practicing with my brother, I know I have to score more goals, so we are practicing shooting and aiming,” he said.

One of the highlight this year has been meeting Neil Tovey, the competition’s ambassador. “He is a legend and inspiration. He was a great player and very consistent in his game and I was excited to meet him.”

Although Brazil didn’t do too well at the 2014 World Cup, Ludwe still believes they are the best football playing country in the world. “I am excited to see their youth team play. Our coach wants us to remain focused and not be nervous playing against any of the other countries. You hear the names Germany, Brazil, Spain, Italy and you immediately think of them as leading football nations, but we are all still young and we are all at the same level so we must not be intimidated.”

The introverted kid from Emangweni is going to the home of world football and he is going to meet people his age from all over the world. It’s going to be a life-changing experience and 2014 will be a milestone year in his young life.

Getting to know Ludwe Mtsholo:

Favourite music – kwaito

Favourite subjects at school- Maths and English

Best friend - my mother. I chill with her after school. We talk a lot about life, school work and soccer

Favourite soccer player - lou Segolela of Orlando Pirates

Favourite SA team - Orlando Pirates

Favourite overseas team – Barcelona

Hobbies - reading novels

What are you currently reading - a book called Children of the Wolves. It's about 2 children that were raised by wolves

Favourite actor- Menzi Ngubane, from Generations

What would you like to do after school - I would like to play soccer professionally, and qualify to be an electrician

Favourite Danone products - Nutriday and Yogisip

Message to Danone – thank you for sponsoring the tournament! If it had it not been for you I would have never got an opportunity to travel to Brazil. Now I can come back and share my adventure with my family

Message to your school friends and team mates - we should go there and have fun and play like we have been playing. We will be nervous but we must try to enjoy the experience.

Can Rietvale High School make four consecutive Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup wins?

Rietvale High School, from the small town of Ritchie, close to Kimberley has won the Northern Cape Provincial title in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup for a remarkable 3 successive times, and will be in the running again when this year’s provincial playoffs take place on August 30 at the  AR Abbas Stadium in Kimberley.

Barry Kammies, the team’s manager, said the school has been fortunate to have a crop of talented players over the years, and the indications are that this year’s team matches up to the standards of previous sides.

“We have a strong, tight team again this year and I am sure that they want to continue the winning streak,” he said. “With that being said the school has never finished within the top four at the national finals and our goal this year is to change this.”

Kammies said their strategy for the provincial finals is to play as a united team. “Our success is built on team performance not on individual performance,” he said. “I don’t have a key player but I have several key players that contribute to the team’s success.”

The 2014 Rietvale team is very experienced. There are 10 players from last year that are still eligible to participate and they have been taking the lead in mentoring some of the new players in the squad.  “They have been proactive and I could not have asked for more from them, this is what I want from players – to take initiative and get the job done,” Kammies said.

The team has played 7 games so far, winning them all.  The games at cluster level were particularly competitive. “Having won the provincial title for three successive years we are obviously the team to beat and I could see all our competitors had prepared well so there was not a single game that I can say was easy,” Kammies said.

last year’s Northern Cape runners-up, Okiep, will also be competing in the provincial finals and Kammies sees them as their strongest opposition. “They were strong and competitive last year and I am sure that they have upped their game for this year’s leg of the tournament. We beat them 2-1 last year and I have a feeling that we will face up against them again this year at the finals. They will be looking for revenge, but we will defend our title to the very end.”

The school’s success story is Evander Spandiel, who plays for Thanda Royal Zulu in the Premier League. He was part of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 teams that won the provincial titles.

The team’s coach, Kasper Spandiel, has been coaching the school for years now and has done a great job in grooming the team technically and tactically. “He coaches all our age divisions, so the players know him and they are all used to his approach,” Kammies said. “He has been integral in the team’s success in all tournament we participate in.”

The school has put the funding they received from their 2011 and 2012 provincial titles to good use. They put up palisade fencing around the entire school, installed an air conditioner and installed a 40-station intercom system into the classrooms.  The R100 000 won last year has not been used as yet and Kammies is hoping that if they win this year the winnings will be combined and used to improve their soccer field. “Currently it’s just an open area that we use for training, we would like to develop it into a top-of-the -range facility.”

Participating Teams

·         Rietvale High School-Francis Baard District

·         Okiep high School-Namaqua District

·         Gamohana Senior Secondary School-John Taolo Gaetsewe District

·         Bongani High School-Pixley Ka Seme District

·         Kakamas High School-ZF Mgcawu  District 

Harmony High School gets through to the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup

Harmony High School, the most successful school in the history of the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup are safely through to the Free State provincial finals of the competition and will be competing for the title, and the R100 000 in funding for legacy projects, and the right to play in the national finals that goes with it.

The Virginia school will meet the five other district winners in the playoffs, at Grey College in Bloemfontein on Saturday 23^rd August.

Harmony has religiously competed in the tournament since its inception and Hector Mokhali, the manager of the 2014 team, says the success of the soccer team is something the school and the community is proud of and they want to continue that tradition.

“Last year the team took a knock and we didn’t take first position in the provincials, but this year we are going to change that,” he said. “We are ready to compete and meet up again with HTS Louis Botha who beat us last year. We want to take back what rightfully belongs to us, which is the provincial title.”

Mokhali explained that their 2013 team was made up of under-17 players that participated in the tournament for the first time, so they were inexperienced. “We have that same team from last year, they are more qualified to compete and have learnt from their past mistakes,” he said.

Mokhali gives the credit for the schools consistence in the competition to the coach, Pitso Mokoena. “He has been a great asset to the school and the soccer department,” he said. “His expertise has made a huge difference. He is a great influence on the players and they all look up to him.”

The biggest improvement in the team this year has been in their finishing. “Our strikers are now more alert and they use every chance that they get to score goals,” Mokhali said. “When we played against Marematlou high school in a zone game we beat them 11-0, showing that the team is now more aware of the field and how to use it to their advantage.”

The defence is also a lot tighter this year, shown by the fact that in the 11 games they have played to date, they have only conceded one goal. “We just need to keep cool and continue with this momentum and there is no doubt that we are going to win the provincials and do well at the nationals,” Mokhali said.

As far as individual players are concerned, Mokhali is very impressed with 17 year-old midfielder Tebogo Mokoena. “He came up from our under 16 division.  This is his first Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup experience, but I know he will be a force to be reckoned with.  Last year he was the under 16 top goalscorer.”

This year, Teboga has already scored 10 goals and Mokhali is confident that that number will grow. “He is a very talented boy.  We had a scout from UK club Bolton Wanders here last year and they have invited him to attend trials at the club in October this year.”

The teams participating in the Free State provincial finals are:

·         Harmony High School-Lejweleputswa District

·         Relebohile Sibulele Secondary School-Xhariep District

·         Tlokola Secondary School-Thabo Mofutsanyane District

·         Mestimaphodi Secondary School  –Motheo District

·         RT Mokgopa High School -Motheo District

·         Thabang Secondary School -Fezile Dabi District

Lingelihle Senior Secondary take home R100 000 as Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Eastern Cape champions

Lingelihle Senior Secondary School of Ilinge, Queentown, was crowned the 2014 Eastern Cape provincial Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup champions after beating Walmer High School 3-0 at the Jabavu Stadium in Uitenhage on 16^th August.

By winning the provincial title, the school receives R100 000 to spend on legacy projects, and they get to play in the national finals of the competition in October, together with Walmer High School.

It is the second time Lingelihle has taken the title – they won it in 2012 – and Sandile Mata, the school’s principal and the technical director of the team is thrilled that the hard work they have put in this year has paid off.

Mata gives much of the credit for their success to Vuyisa Bobani, who scored four goals in the provincial finals. ”He is a gifted footballer and keeps on improving with every game. I have coached him since he was 15 years old and I believe he has a bright future. I’m hoping the scouts from the professional clubs spot him at the national finals,” Mata said.

It’s still too early to say how the R100 000 they won will be spent, but Mata says that transport is a major problem at the school as they need to ferry schools kids to and from extra classes in Queenstown, which is about 60km from the school. “We do have a school bus, but it needs to be serviced, so we are hoping to use some of the winnings to do that. If we win at the national finals we will perhaps purchase a new bus as well.”

The lead up to the provincial finals went smoothly, Mata said (the school played 6 games winning them all).  Not even getting lost on the way to the stadium and having to get off the bus and go straight onto the field to play their first game affected the team.  “We were well prepared and we were not going to accept anything other than winning the provincials. This win goes to show that my team can withstand anything, I believe in them and that makes it easy for them to believe in themselves too.  We were the team to beat at the finals and everyone was gunning for us.  Not even last year’s winners, Executive Academy, could intimidate us.”

The team’s star, Vuyisani Bobani, is 19 and plays on the wing. He started off playing in the streets of Ilinge before joining a local club.

At 16 he went to study at Lingelihle and joined the school team. “I was part of the 2012 team that won the provincial finals, but unfortunately we didn’t win at the nationals,” he said. “I am happy to be part of the team again this year and my goal is to finish within the top 4 positions.”

Vuyisani scored four goals at the provincial finals and realises he is going to have to find the net at the national finals if the team is to be successful. “I know that the competition at the nationals will be tough and many of the schools will have academy players, but we are the best school in Eastern Cape and we have as much of a chance as they do. We need to remain focused and make sure that we play as a united front.”

Vuyisani is determined to become a professional player. “Soccer is my life and through the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup I am hoping to be scouted by either a National First Division or Premier Soccer League club.’

Results:

Lingelihle 4  vs  Velile 1

Tlokweng 0 vs Walmer 2

Zimele 0 vs Executive Academy 1

Magadla 2 vs Tlokweng 1

Lingelihle 1 vs Zimele 0

Walmer 1 vs Magadla

Velile 0  vs Executive Academy 0

Lingelihle 0 vs Executive Academy 0

Zimele 1 vs Velile 1

FINAL Lingelihle 3 vs Walmer 0

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.

Walmer High School gets through to the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Eastern Cape Provincial Final

When the Eastern Cape Provincial Finals of the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup take place at the Jabavu Stadium in Uitenhage on Saturday it will be a dream come true, and a massive opportunity, for Port Elizabeth’s Walmer High School.

Coach, Lunga Lloyd says that they entered the tournament for the first time last year but were knocked out at the regional stage. “It was tough for us last year because it was our first time competing in the tournament, but we took last year’s defeat as a learning experience,” he said. “It was also my first year teaching at the school so I didn’t know the players.”

This year has been different. Many of the boys all know each other from the local clubs they also play for and they have encouraged other good players at the school to come out and play for the team says Lloyd.

“The prize of R100 000 on offer makes the team all fired up for the provincial finals,” Lloyd said. “I don’t even need to remind them about training session, by the time school ends I find them on the field training. They are motivated and want win the provincials.”

Should the school win the provincial title, Lloyd said they would use it to renovate their classrooms which are in disrepair and inadequate for the number of learners at the school.

Lloyd does not have a formal coaching qualification – he is just a teacher with a passion for the game – so he realises he needs expert assistance if they are to progress further.  “I have organised for some of the coaches who are successful at the local clubs to come in and assist in coaching the boys,” he said. “Reaching this level requires a more experienced technical team to help iron out areas that we need to be improved.” He has also arranged extra games against local schools during this week, ahead of the finals.

Lloyd said that making into the provincial finals this year shows that there has been an improvement in the team and that their efforts and hard work is paying off. “I have a team that is filled with talented boys, they are a united front and they all have the same goal which is to win the provincials,” he said.

It’s been challenging, though. Lack of equipment and resources is a big problem for the team and they don’t have a proper field to train on. “We are fighting to meet these challenges by entering tournaments like this that can help us in funding the school’s necessities,” Lloyd said.

Participating Teams

·         Tlokweng Senior Secondary School –Joe Gqabi  District

·         Magadla Senior Secondary School-Alfred Nzo District

·         Zimele Senior Secondary School-OR Tambo District

·         Walmer high School-Nelson Mandela District

·         Executive Academy-Amathole District

·         Lingelihle High School-Chris Hani District

·         Velile High School-Cacadu District 

Benny's Sports Academy win Limpopo Provincial Finals

It’s been a great weekend for Benny’s Sports Development Academy of Makhado in Limpopo.

On Friday the school took official ownership of a number of developments, paid for out of the prize money they won at the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup in 2010, 2012 and 2013 and then, on Saturday they added a further R 100 000 in funding for legacy projects by being crowned the Limpopo provincial champions in the third consecutive year.

They beat Makikele High on penalties in the final, played at the Seshego Stadium in Polokwane and advance to the national finals to be played in October.

Their coach, Justice Matloga was thrilled at winning the title for the 4^th  time, especially the day after their handover event.

“It feels great winning the provincials for the 4^th  time,” he said. “It shows that we are destined for success in this tournament; now the plan is to win the national title, we will work hard in making sure that we win the nationals. As the coach, it’s an honour knowing that I have led the school’s team to success in this tournament for the past 3 successive years.”

Matloga has been coaching at the school since 2004 and he has built an understanding with his players. “Communication is the key; we communicate with the players and we try to keep a level of professionalism in everything we do,” he said.

“I try to keep the players humble, just because they have won this title for 3 successive years it does not mean that they must now start getting big-headed. They should always maintain a level of respect for the tournament and for their opponents.”

Matloga singles out winger, Mutshidzi Nemaxwi, as a key player in the team. He attended trials at the school in 2010 when he was 13 years old and was enrolled. “We were impressed by his skills and his talent, he has a bright future in soccer and I will do everything to help him progress in soccer,” Matloga said.

“He has a very supportive father, Mr Nkhumiseni Nemaxwi; he always comes to all our matches and will be travelling with us to Johannesburg for the nationals. He is a very involved as a parent that only wants the best for his child and the school.”

The coach realises that the national finals are going to be tough. “We need to go back to the drawing board and analyse our game plan. There is a lot that needs to be improved on in the team. We need to focus on building stamina, on their dribbling skills and making sure that the players don’t let nerves be their downfall,” he said.

Matloga said they are not sure that what they will do with the R100 000 they won on Saturday. They are hoping to add R1 million to that by winning the national title this year, and then they will decide which projects to take on.

Results:

GROUP A                                                                                                GROUP B

Batau Secondary School (Sekhukhune)                                  Makikela High School (Mopani)

Benny’s Sports Development Academy (Vhembe)                                Matanta High School (Waterburg)

Ramathope Secondary School(Capricorn)             

RESULTS:

Batau   1  vs  Benny’s Sports 3

Makikele 3 vs Matanta 2

Ramathope 2  vs Batau 1

Matanta 1 vs Makikele 2

Benny’s 2 vs Ramathope 0

LOG:

GROUP A

		P	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD	PTS
1	Benny’s Sports Development Academy	2	2	0	0	5	1	4	6
2	Ramathope	2	1	1	0	2	4	-2	3
3	Batau	2	0	2	0	2	5	-3	0

GROUP B

		P	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD	PTS
1	Makikile	2	2	0	0	4	2	2	6
2	Matanta	2	0	2	0	2	4	-2	0

FINAL GAME:

Benny’’s Sports 1  vs Makikele 1

Benny’s won 4 – 3 on penalties

POSITIONS:

5. Batau 

4. Matanta             

3. Ramathope        

2. Makikele            

1. Benny’s              

Grey College wins state of the art gyms

There was a palpable air of excitement at Bloemfontein’s Grey College today as Coca-Cola® presented the winners of the 2013/2014 Coca-Cola® 30 Minute Heroes Challenge with three state of the art calisthenics gymnasiums.

Bloemfontein’s Grey College were named the winners of the 2013/2014 Coca-Cola® 30 Minute Heroes Challenge. They set a record with 199 boys completing the challenge in 30 minutes.

The Coca-Cola® 30 Minute Heroes Challenge promotes physical activity at school. It was open to schools which took part in the Coca-Cola® T20 Schools Challenge. The concept of the challenge was to get as many students as possible through a 5-drill course in a 30 minute period. The school getting the most students to complete the course could win a state of the art outdoor gymnasium.

As part of the days formalities, the school was challenged by Coca-Cola® to re-enact their winning performance. Gravity Core, a Johannesburg based calisthenics group, performed a jaw dropping demonstration of the various ‘street workout’ routines that can be done using the gymnasium. The school body was given a personal one on one lesson by the Gravity Core team.

“Coca-Cola® South Africa is committed to promoting the benefits of leading an active healthy lifestyle. We encourage scholars of all ages to participate in at least 30 minutes of regular physical activity. The Coca-Cola® 30 Minute Heroes Challenge is just one of the programmes in which we get scholars active,” said Fetsi Mbele, marketing assets manager of Coca-Cola® South Africa.

Picture captions:

                IMG_2680 – A learner from Grey College runs through the slalom poles to test out the obstacle course.

                IMG_2996 – Deon Scheepers headmaster of Grey College and Sheenagh Kruger from Coca-Cola Fortune cut the ribbon to officially open the gym

                IMG_3027 – Athletes from Gravity Core show the learners from Grey College what exercises they can do on the calisthenics gym

Ends.

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