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The final showdown in the
biggest soccer tournament in the world for kids between the ages of 10 and 12,
the Danone Nations Cup, is almost here.
On Saturday 1st
July nine under-12 school teams, representing the nine provinces, will do
battle at the WJ Clements Stadium in Reiger Park, fighting for the Danone
nations Cup national title and, with it, the right to represent the country at
the competition’s world finals in New York, USA in September.
Some 2 800 schools began
the journey back in March and through a series of cluster leagues,
inter-district playoffs, regional knockouts and provincial finals, they have
been whittled down to the eight schools (Gauteng will be hosting the final
provincial final on Saturday, 17th June) that will compete for the
spot to represent SA at the world finals, along with the champion teams from 31
other countries.
None of the schools
competing, bar two, have experienced the national finals before. Mophela
Primary School were KwaZulu-Natal champions in 2015 and Kimberley’s Roodepan
Primary School represented the Northern Cape at the nationals in 2014 and 2015.
As for the rest, some of them have been to provincial finals before, but no
further.
The Danone Nations Cup
national finals are always a surprise package. In age group sport, every year
brings a new team with new players and new team strengths. Having a good team
one year doesn’t necessarily mean that the school will be tops again the next.
Haggai Combined Private
School will be representing Limpopo at the finals for the first time. Their
coach, Justice Matloga, was at Benny’s Sports Academy and Development for many
years until he went off to start his own venture.
He acknowledges that
soccer is a team game, but he has in his team a couple of youngsters that are
sensational and game changers. “You can’t count on one player to win games for
you,” he said. “But a few players in key positions can make a big difference.”
Winning the Limpopo
provincial title has been the biggest achievement for the school since it
opened in 1993. Matloga has been following the competition on Facebook to see
who they will be up against, but he says it is virtually impossible to predict
which province will be the biggest challenge.
“I do know that it won’t
be an easy ride,” he said. “All the other schools have the same dream we have –
to get to the world finals.”
It’s exam time at the
school, which is making their preparations difficult. “The kids must focus on
studying so we don’t have much time for preparations. When I do get the team we
focus on formations, keeping possession, communicating on the field and on
winning as a team.”
The Mamelodi Sundowns
development coaching team is working with a few of the Haggai players. “They
are attending Sundowns training sessions and we are holding thumbs that they
get incorporated into the development structures next year,” Matloga said.
It’s been an entire school
effort with many of the high school players coming down to watch practices,
encouraging the boys and giving them advice.
The coach has arranged
games against the school’s under-14 and under-15 teams to help polish the team.
“At the provincial finals our defence struggled, and it’s been useful playing
against bigger boys so we can rectify that,” he said.
Motloga is no stranger to
big match pressure as he has been with Benny’s to many competitions at all age
groups.
He is hoping that Haggai
will be the second team from Limpopo in as many years win the national title.
The teams already through
to the national finals are:
Eastern Cape: Isaacs Booi
Primary School
Free State: Phaphama
Intermediate School
KZN: Winner: Mophela
Primary School
Limpopo: Haggai Combined
Private School
Mpumalanga: Sekhulile
Primary School
Northern Cape: Roodepan
Primary School
North West: Mmamitlwa
Primary School
Gauteng: Arcon Primary School
Western Cape: Idas Valley Primary School
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