St Joseph’s Kulani Primary School
of Mabopane in the Tshwane North district are the 2016 under-12 Danone Nations
Cup Gauteng champions and will be representing the province at the soccer
tournament’s national finals in Boksburg on Saturday June 25th.
The Gauteng provincial finals
took place this past weekend and included 8 district winners and two
invitational teams.
The teams were divided into two
Groups who played in a league with the winners of each group competing in the
final. Outsiders, St Joseph’s topped Group B and invitational team,
Rosebank Primary School topped Group A.
Rosebank players were physically
stronger than their diminutive counterparts making them favourites to win the
tournament. But St Joseph’s did not let size distract them and took to
the field with confidence and played with a purpose completely out shining
their more physical counterparts scoring the winning goal that won them the
title, much to the delight of the manager, Margaret Mabilo and coach, Themba
Mabuzo.
The school has been taking part in the tournament
since 2010, but has never advanced beyond the regional level before.
What makes this year different, according to Mabilo,
is that they brought in Themba Mabuzo as a coach.
Before then, Mabilo coached the
team, but she was also the school’s netball coach and could not do them both.
Mabuzo played in the Soshanguve Soccer League but
has never played professionally. After giving up playing he joined Extra School
Support Programme, a programme started by the Department of Basic Education to
assist schools. They helping pupils with homework, they monitor security and
they have specialists who help and evaluate in-school sports, arts and culture.
Mabuzo also runs a local club, Manchester Football
Club, and most of the St Joseph’s players play there as well.
To qualify for the finals the team played 17 games
and scored 34 goals. The toughest school they played against was Kgotlhelela
Primary School in Soshanguve. They beat them 2-1, scoring the winner in the
last minute.
Mabuzo, who sees Pitso Mosimane
as his inspiration, says winning the provincial title has been his biggest
coaching achievement. “Our most frustrating game at the provincials was against
the Deutsche Schule. We lost on penalties after we forgot to play our own game
and tried to take on theirs,” he said. “We have to be careful of that at the
nationals.”
Defender, Gonste Mkhabela, will be a key
player for them at the national tournament. He is an all-rounder and has been a
great asset to the team, Mabuzo said. “He is very shy and quiet-spoken,
however, every time he gets on to the field he shines. He scored three amazing
goals during the provincial finals.”
Reigning Gauteng champions, Bree Primary, played
well but their players are young and they took some time to get over their
nerves. They lost their first 2 games but then gained their confidence
and played exceptionally well in their last 2 league encounters, scoring 8
goals.
Rosebank Primary were solid in all their games but
seemed to lose focus in the final allowing St Joseph’s to dominate, and win it
1-0.
Scouts from Mameldi Sundowns and SuperSport United
attended the Gauteng finals and Mandla Mazibuko from Sundowns felt that the
standard was not as high as in previous years. This was surprising, he felt, as
Gauteng has the most schools, and many have well-run soccer programmes.
“There were, however, some boys with exceptional
talent, particularly two from the Deutsche Schule, one, Jeremiah Zimmermann,
reminded him of Keagan Dolly. “He is physically small but extremely
fast. If he keeps up with his soccer he could have a bright future in the
sport,” Mazibuko said.
Another, Bjorn Frohlinch, is a Hlompho Kekena in the
making, he believes.
Partners, Mille, ran a
competition amongst the teams to see who produces the best war cry which was
won by the Deutsche Internationale Schule with Rosebank Primary School coming
in a close second. They win a complete set of Mille kit including boots.
Limpopo will host the final provincial finals
tournament on Thursday, 16th June and the 9 provincial winners will then gather
at the WJ Clements Stadium in Reiger Park on 25th June to determine the school
that will represent SA at the Danone Nations Cup world finals in France in
October.
Results
Bree PS 0 vs. Phomolong PS 1
Deutshue Internationale Schule 0 vs. Mayibuye PS (JHB)
1
Seeiso PS 0 vs. Rosebank PS 2
St Josephs Kulani PS 1 vs. Sonqoba PS 0
Mayibuye PS(West Rand) 2 vs. Bree PS 0
Sunnyside PS 3 vs. Deutsche Internatiale Schule 1
Phomolong PS 1 vs. Seeiso PS 0
Mayibye PS (JHB) 0 vs. St Josephs Kulani PS 4
Rosebank PS 1 vs. Mayibuye PS (West Rand) 0
Sonqoba PS 4 vs. Sunnyside PS 0
Bree PS 4 vs. Seeiso PS 0
Deutsche Internationale Schule 0 (5) vs. St Josephs Kulani
PS 0 (4)
Phomolong PS 0 vs Rosebank PS 1
Mayibuye PS (JHB) 0 vs. Sonqoba PS 3
Seeiso PS 1 vs. Mayibuye PS (West Rand) 2
St Josephs Kulani PS 1 vs. Sunnyside PS 0
Rosebank PS 0 vs. Bree PS 4
Sonqoba PS 1 vs. Deutsche Internationale Schule 0
Mayibuye PS (West Rand) 0 vs Phomolong 3
Sunnyside PS 1 vs. Mayibuye PS (JHB) 0
Final Game: Rosebank PS 0 vs. St Josephs Kulani PS 1
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