Mammoka High School is hoping luck will be on their side at the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Limpopo Provincial Final.

The under-19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Limpopo Provincial Finals take place at the Mahwelereng Stadium in Makopane on 22 August. Games kick-off at 9.30am. There will be five regional winners participating with the winning school getting R100 000 to spend on legacy projects that will benefit not only the school learners, but also the community at large.

Polokwane’s Mammoka High School has been competing in the tournament for many years now and 2015 is just the second time the school has made it to the provincial finals.  The last time was in 2012  when they finished second to Benny’s Sports Academy and went through to the national finals where they finished in seventh position out of 18 teams playing.

“We have been wanting to return ever since then,” said Godfrey Maoto, the coach of the team, “so this is a big achievement for us.”

Maoto said that playing in the nationals in 2012 was an eye-opener for him as a coach. “The two teams representing Gauteng, Rosina Sedibane and School of Excellence, played exceptionally well.  But that’s all in the past now, it’s time to make new memories this year.”

Mammoka has a young side this year made up mainly of under-17 players.  “We do have a problem with striking power up front and have had to depend on our midfielders to get goals for us,” Maoto said. “There’s no time to fix that now, so we will have to make do.”

The big challenge for the team is getting enough training time. Five of the players are from outlying rural areas and have to travel far to come to practices, and the school does not have a soccer field, so they have to share a local public ground with other teams, which is not ideal.

Their biggest competition at the Provincial Finals is likely to come from Benny’s Sports Development & Academy, the school that has won the Limpopo title the most times in recent years.

“I am looking forward to meeting up with them this year,” Maoto said. “They beat us the last time we met, but we both have new teams now and the slate is clean.”

Maoto has been coaching since 2006 and has been playing, and coaching, at a local team, Dipitsi FC for many years. He played his last game for them at the age of 42 years.

He coached Tefo Mashamaite (an ex Kaizer Chiefs player who is currently with for BK Hacken in Sweden) when he attended school at Mammoka.

“Soccer has always been my passion, it is my life. I love unearthing talented players and grooming them to become professionals. I look forward to discovering more talent and hopefully the professional scouts at the finals will be interested in a few of my boys,” he said.

The teams participating in the Limpopo Provincial Finals are:

Benny’s Sports Development & Academy – Vhembe District

Mammoka High School – Capricorn District

Kgahlana Morulana High School - Sekhukhune District

Magoza Secondary School - Mopani District

Gwenare Secondary School - Waterberg District