Laerskool Rustenburg-Noord has once again
made it to the under-12 Danone Nations Cup North West provincial final under
the watchful eye of female coach, Sibusisiwe Mangena. They will compete against three other regional
finalists at Klerksdorp’s Alabama Stadium on Wednesday, 1st May with
the winner going on to play in the competition’s national finals in June.
“We are ready for the provincials,” said a
confident Mangena. “Two strikers and a
defender from last year are back in the team and the rest of the players are
ready and well briefed on what to expect come Wednesday.”
Laerskool Rustenburg-Noord won the
provincial finals last year and went on to compete in the national finals but
did not get past the league stage, which Mangena is hoping to change this year.
“I have a lot more confidence this year based on what I learnt from last year
and I have the entire school behind me giving me support.”
As a result of the school’s success last
year some of the players have gone on to achieve great success. “One them, Bangane Mbone, last year’s centre
back, has been for trials in Manchester and another, Lebone Sekudu, has joined
Aganang, a local Rustenburg club.
Neither is eligible to compete in the Danone Nations Cup this year, but
I am still very happy with the team,” said Mangena. Our defence is stronger this year, although
the strike force is weaker. I am not
perturbed as in the modern game it is important to have a very strong defence,
particularly now that you can score from any part of the field.”
A key player in the team this year will be
Tholoana Malia. “He was our goalkeeper
last year, but I have a better person for that position and have moved him to
defence. He has proved outstanding in
his new position. I am excited for next week and ready to get us to the
nationals again. We did not do very well
at the nationals last year, but I am confident that we will do better if we get
there this year.”
Mangena has a SAFA Level 1 coaching
certificate and thanks to the support of the school, will be doing her Level 2
coaching course this year. “I started
playing soccer in primary school but only took it seriously in high school. I
chose to take up coaching after school rather than competing because of my
teaching studies. I am using the game as
a means to teach important life lessons like trust, team work and confidence. Of
great importance is that one needs a positive attitude. I want to get as many kids to play the game
as possible and this includes girls and boys.”
Games at regional level are now complete
and the teams that have progressed to the provincial finals include:
Ditaelong Primary School (Dr Kenneth
Kaunda)
Rustenburg Noord (Bojanala)
Reivilo Primary School (Dr Ruth Segomotsi
Mompati)
Ngaka Modiri Molema is still to host their
regional finals
The games kick-off at 10am. The winner will go on to compete at the
national finals in Gauteng in June. The national
champions will represent South Africa at the world finals where they will
compete against 19 other nations.
South Africa is one of only two countries
that have won the world finals three times: in 2003, 2007 and 2009.
The 2018 and 2019 world finals will take
place as a double-header in celebration of Danone’s centenary and the 20th
edition of the Danone Nations Cup.
“It
is an important year for Danone,” explained Chantel Ehlers, Internal
Communications Manager, Danone Southern Africa.
“Not only is Danone turning 100 and it is the 20th edition of
the Danone Nations Cup, but this year also coincides with our new brand
positioning and purpose, One Planet One Health, which reflects our belief that
the health of humankind and that of the planet are interlinked and both need to
be protected and nurtured. Through the Danone Nations Cup we are contributing
to bringing this vision to life by promoting the importance of exercise.
Further, we are encouraging our young athletes to ‘Play Football, Change the
Game’, which is a rallying message to unite children, irrespective of
their backgrounds and cultures, and to encourage them to become catalysts for
positive change.”
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
GROUP DANONE
Dedicated to bringing health through food to as many
people as possible, Danone is a leading global food & beverage company
building on health-focused and fast-growing categories in three businesses:
Essential Dairy & Plant-Based Products, Waters and Specialized Nutrition.
Danone aims to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking
practices, in line with its ‘One Planet. One Health’ vision which reflects a
strong belief that the health of people and that of the planet are
interconnected. To bring this vision to life and create superior, sustainable,
profitable value for all its stakeholders, Danone has defined its 2030 Goals: a
set of nine integrated goals aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) of the United Nations. Danone commits to operating in an efficient,
responsible and inclusive manner; it holds itself to the highest standards in
doing business, as reflected by its ambition to become one of the first
multinationals certified as B CorpTM. With more than 100,000 employees, and
products sold in over 120 markets, Danone generated €24.7 billion in sales in
2018. Danone’s portfolio includes leading international brands (Actimel,
Activia, Alpro, Aptamil, Danette, Danio, Danonino, evian, Nutricia, Nutrilon,
Volvic, among others) as well as strong local and regional brands (including
AQUA, Blédina, Bonafont, Cow & Gate, Horizon, Mizone, Oikos,
Prostokvashino, Silk, Vega).
