After
years of participating in the under-12 Danone Nations Cup soccer tournament,
Benny’s Sports Development and Academy from the Vhembe District, Makhado,
Polokwane, will be participating in the national finals of the competition for
the first time.
They
won this honour after beating Mahupje Primary 1 – 0 in a thrilling
provincial final match that took place at Hoerskool Noorderland in Polokwane
over the weekend.
“We came into the tournament this
year with a new team comprising players that started at the school this year,”
said coach, Mr Mbishi Mokwena. “I also only started at the school this year and
I am excited to have managed to reach this level of the tournament so
quickly. The school management did not expect the team to win and viewed
this year as a learning experience, but deep in my heart I know I would lead
the boys to victory.”
Mokwena admitted that it was not
an easy win. “The pitch was muddy due to the rain the previous night and
the boys were finding it difficult to maintain ball possession but we
persevered and won despite the conditions.”
The first three games of the day
saw Benny’s draw with each opponent going on to win two of the three on
penalties. “We did not manage to score enough goals and this is an
area I will be working on leading up to the nationals. We don’t know what
to expect but we do know that every team will be doing their best to win the
trip to Morocco to compete in the world finals in October.”
Mokwena credits the whole team
for the win, the captain, Dakalo Mukwevho in particular as he lead the team
beautifully. “Dakalo lifted the spirit of the boys when they drew the
first three games. He decided to call the boys to a meeting where he gave
them a little motivational talk which worked wonders and they rose to the
occasion.”
The coach believes that his team
was the strongest on the day and will be attending the nationals with a
fighting spirit and a winning attitude. He will be working hard with the
boys for the next couple of months which will include watching videos of past
world finals. “But at the national finals I will allow the boys to show
off their flare and skills on their own. I know they can do it.”
North West hosts the next
provincial final at the Matlosana Stadium in Klerksdorp on 25 April. The
national finals will be held at Reiger Park, Boksburg, Gauteng on 27 June.
Limpopo Results:
Mmamakwa Primary 1 (2) vs Benny's
Sports & Academy 1 (3)
Rammupudu Primary 0 vs
Mahupje Primary 1
Megoring Primary 1 vs Mmamakwa
Primary 0
Benny's Sports & Academy 0
(2) vs Rammupudu Primary 0 (3)
Mahupje Primary 0 (3) vs Megoring
Primary 0 (4)
Mmamakwa Primary 1 (3) vs
Rammupudu Primary 1 (2)
Benny's Sports & Academy 0
(3) vs Mahupje Primary 0 (1)
Rammupudu Primary 2 vs Megoring
Primary 0
Mahupje Primary 1 vs Mmamakwa
Primary 0
Megoring Primary 1 vs Benny's
Sports & Academy 2
FINAL
Mahupje Primary 0 vs Benny's
Sports & Academy 1
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
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