Laerskool Rustenburg-Noord
secured a spot in the Danone Nations Cup national finals when they beat new
comers Reivilo Primary School from the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati region 8 – 7
in a penalty shootout at the provincial finals that took place in Klerksdorp on
Wednesday, 1st May.
The game ended with neither team
scoring in regulation time. While both teams had scoring opportunities,
Rustenburg had the lions share but failing to convert, despite their key
player, Neo Mataboge having a cracking game.
Rustenburg was coached by female
coach, Sibusisiwe Mangena, and it was evident when watching the team that she
follows the game of soccer intently and knows the rules and regulations well as
the team played a tactical game and their ball skills and formations were good.
“The games were not easy, but we
have done enough to get us to the nationals again and I am overwhelmed and also
excited,” said Mangena. “We didn’t perform well at Dobsonville last year,
but we learnt a lot and I am so grateful that we are getting a second chance to
showcase our new acquired knowledge against the best under-12 teams in the
country. This is a dream come true for me personally. Last
year I was the only female coach to every take a team to the national finals
and now I am doing it for a second time.”
Laerskool Rustenburg had two
strikers and a defender back from last year and they were ably assisted by an
exceptionally talented midfielder. “We also received guidance from one of
our boys from last year who recently returned from a trip to Manchester United
where he learnt a lot about how the game is evolving and different
techniques. He has had the boys enthralled with his stories of what
happened and all the famous players he met.”
Another player that was
exceptional on the day was Tholoana Malia, who has moved from goalkeeper to defender.
“Tholoana proved to us that the move was a good one,” said the Mangena.
“He is a confident young boy and tackles fearlessly. Further, he has
great support from his parents who attend all the games he competes in which is
great motivation. They were at the nationals last year and will be there again
this year to cheer the team on.”
In attendance was the school
principal, Mr Van der Walt who believes that sport is as important to the
growth of children as education is as it plays a key role in learning life
lessons. “I am exceptional proud of Sibusisiwe for taking the boys to the
nationals again this year. The entire school is behind her and we will
talk about the best way to prepare. We might even bring in a coach from
Tshwane or Potchefstroom to assist with training. We will meet and
discuss the best way forward.”
Whatever the final plan, Mangena
knows that in order to maintain stamina and strength, proper eating is
key. “What I have learnt since competing in the Danone Nations Cup is
that maintaining a healthy diet is important in sport. I encourage every
child in the team to eat properly and include a yoghurt as a snack or with a
meal as it helps build strong bones which is important in soccer. “
The ultimate winner will compete
in the world finals at the RCDE Stadium, Barcelona, Spain between 10th
and 12th October 2019.
To celebrate Danone’s centenary
and the 20th edition of the Danone Nations Cup both the 2018 and
2019 world finals will take place together. The winner at the national
finals taking place in Gauteng on 15th June will travel to Spain
with last year’s winner Nomlinganiselo from the Western Cape.
RESULTS:
TEAMS:
Laerskool
Rustenburg Noord (Bojanala)
|
Reivilo
High School (Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati)
|
BM
Mokitime Primary School (Ngaka Modiri Molema)
|
Ditsaelong
Primary School (Dr Kenneth Kaunda)
|
Laerskool Rustenburg
Noord 2
|
Reivilo High School 0
|
BM Mokitime Primary
School 1 (2)
|
Ditaelong Primary School
1 (3)
|
BM Mokitime Primary
School 1
|
Laerskool Rustenburg
Noord 0
|
Reivilo High School 1 (5)
|
Ditaelong Primary School
1 (4)
|
Ditaelong Primary School
0
|
Laerskool Rustenburg
Noord 1
|
Reivilo High School 3
|
BM Mokitime Primary School
0
|
Laerskool Rustenburg
Noord 0 (8)
|
Reivilo High School 0 (7)
|
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).
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