Bree Primary plays crucial friendly against Wits University Academy in preparation for international world finals.

Preparations for Bree Primary School’s trip to Morocco in October, to represent South Africa at the under-12 Danone Nations Cup World football Finals, are going well.  Based on previous world finals it has been apparent that the South African players have generally been smaller than their opponents, so this year the team has been playing practice games against older, bigger teams so that they can get used to the physical challenge, and formulate tactics to counter bigger opposition.

They played a Mamelodi Sundowns Youth Academy under-13 team last month, and beat them 4 - 1 and this was followed up last week with a game against the Wits University under-13 side.

Bree lost the game 3-2, but showed plenty of tenacity and determination and gained a lot of good experience from the encounter. They rose to the challenge well and did not buckle against a powerful, experienced team.

There were some excellent performances by the Bree players, including goalkeeper Mncedisi and midfielder, Ntuthuko but it was team captain and central defender, Ntando Simayile, who led by example and was their best player on the night.

Ntando came to Bree in 2009 and has played in the Danone Nations Cup for the past two years. He was made captain this year due to his experience and his leadership qualities and is looking forward to going to Morocco.

“I want to watch all the other countries to see how they play and learn from them,” Ntando said. “I want to be a professional player one day and seeing how other countries play and how they prepare for games will benefit me.”

Ntando is very interested in Brazil. “I’m impressed with the skills and speed of Brazilian players,” he said. “They are also usually smaller, like us, yet they cope with playing against stronger bigger players. We can learn a lot from them.”

Bree beat the Sundowns team quite easily, but Ntando said Wits was a different ball game. “They were much tougher opposition and I’m happy with the way the team played. We were aggressive and went in there to win. I hope we get more practise games like that before we leave in October.”

Apart from his professional football dreams, music and dancing is Ntando’s passion and he is hoping to be a DJ one day. His favourite is DJ Zinthle. “I like her voice and the way she mixes music. I listen to a lot of music and much of it could be improved and that is what I want to do. I am going to work on a singing and dancing routine for Morocco.  I have heard that the other countries particularly like the way we dance and I don’t want to disappoint them this year.”

Some facts about Ntando:

His Hero: Hulk – he is big, green, strong, has a fantastic 6-pack, has big hands and is a hero saving people. 

Hobbies: reading and music

Favourite subject: Maths

Football hero: Andile Jali – he is Xhosa, played for Orlando Pirates and now plays in Belgium

Motto: Be disciplined, listen to your coaches, teachers and parents and learn.

Youngster goes from playing soccer in the dusty streets of Soweto to representing South Africa in the Danone Nations Cup World Finals

When 12 year-old Wandile Mndebele started kicking a ball around in the dusty streets of Protea Glen he wanted nothing more than to be like his older soccer-playing brother Musa. He followed the customary route of youngsters in the area and joined the local club, Protea Glen All stars, and it was that move that made all the difference in his life.

It led to him being spotted by scouts from Bree Primary School while playing a club game against Mavi Stars in Protea Glen.  Ten months later he is getting ready to travel to Morocco with his team to compete in the Danone Nations Cup World Finals.

The youngster recently played in a game against the Mamelodi Sundowns under-13 development team and was identified by the academy coach as a game maker and, if all goes according to plan, he could be with the Sundowns Academy next year.

Joining Bree Primary has made an enormous difference to young Wandile’s schoolwork as well as his soccer. “My grades are improving, the teachers at the school pay attention to us and we understand each other. I have also gained so much soccer experience because of the number of tournaments we play in. I have played many more games since I came to Bree this year, especially in the Danone Nations Cup and I have enjoyed the interaction with the other kids.”

Wandile is convinced that soccer is the only sport for him now.  He is passionate about the game and knows it will take him far.

“Before I came to Bree I had no idea that they had played in the Danone Nations Cup world finals twice, once winning the tournament,” Wandile said. “I knew that I was going to a very good school that focuses on education and sport, but I never realised they had achieved so much in soccer.”

Winning the national finals meant they achieved what they set out to do at the beginning of the tournament. “We told ourselves that we were going to be the team that brought Bree back into this competition. We worked hard from the beginning and were committed from day one.”

The school’s principal, Mr Kalicharan, and the coach, Bafana, went to France with the 2008 team that won the world title.  They encouraged the team to work hard if they also want to travel overseas to play in the world finals of the tournament.

“Ever since we won the national finals it has been an adventure, I have seen pictures and stories written about us in the newspapers, we have watched a live game between Sundowns and Bidvest Wits, and we have had fun.”

“My brother and mother have been very supportive. My brother was the first person I told when we won the nationals.  He is now 26 years old and is the father figure in my life since we lost out dad a few years ago and still helps me with my game.”

Going to Morocco will be the highlight of Wandile’s life so far. “I want to meet players from other countries especially Germany and Argentina; Germany because they won the FIFA World Cup in 2014, and Argentina because of Lionel Messi. He is an incredible player and I one day hope to play just like him,” Wandile said.

“We are under pressure because the last time Bree competed in the World Finals they won so a lot of people will be expecting a win from us and we have to work 10 times hard to make sure that we don’t disappoint them.

 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

Mamelodi Sundowns come on board to prepare Bree Primary School for the Danone Nations Cup world finals

Mamelodi Sundowns FC has come aboard to assist the under-12 Bree Primary School team prepare for the Danone Nations Cup World Finals happening in Morocco between the 23rd and 25th October.

On Saturday, 22 August, a friendly match took place between Bree the Mamelodi Sundowns U13 development team which was followed by a trip to the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville to watch the PSL match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Wits University.

The boys were taken into the dressing room to meet the Sundowns players after the game and Sundowns scout, Trott Moloto, spoke to the boys and gave them insights into what to expect when travelling and playing internationally.

Bree surprised the Mamelodi Sundowns squad and technical team when they won the match 4-1.  According to the coach, Fire Maselela, there are some extremely talented boys in the team and he was impressed with the confidence and structure of the entire team on the field. His advice to the team leading up to Morocco was that they should play as many games against older boys as possible.

“Our players are usually smaller than those from other countries, so they need to get used to playing against stronger boys and must not feel intimidated,” said Maselela.  “There are many factors that contribute to SA players being smaller, it’s a reality and the boys must not allow this to affect the way they play,” he said.

He also noticed that the boys tired in the second half of the game. “They scored 4 goals very quickly in the first half but then faded and allowed Sundowns to get one back in the second half,” he said.

Bree principal, Dave Kalicharan, is the driving force behind the team. He is continuously motivating and praising the boys, which has contributed to their strong self-belief. 

Their plan for the next two months is to continue to play friendly games against teams that they have not played against before.  In this way they are getting the team used to facing the unknown. 

SASFA president, Mandla ‘Shoes’ Mazibuko said competing internationally is the key to the success of the Danone Nations Cup tournament. “To offer young under-12 boys the opportunity to travel overseas and play against other countries opens their eyes to the endless opportunities there are in the world.  It encourages them to work hard, dream big both on and off the football field,” he said.

“At this age they are developing the love for the game and we want to encourage them to keep fit and continue to play football.  Through sponsors like Danone SASFA is able to identify talent for the PSL clubs as well as the SAFA national teams.  These are the boys they need to keep an eye on as they grow,” ended Mazibuko.

 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

Sundowns scout praises young Danone Nations Cup goalkeeper

Bree Primary School, who will be representing South Africa in the Danone Nations Cup world finals in Morocco in October, will be taking with them a gifted Goalkeeper, Mncedisi Nguse.  According to Mamelodi Sundowns scout, Mandla Mazibuko this youngster will make a positive contribution to the team.  

“Overall the team has pretty good players, but Mncedisi is one special keeper.  He has pure natural talent and with great coaching and having him in a good development structure I can see him playing for the national team one day,” said Mazibuko, who attended all the provincial finals as well as the national finals of the tournament.

Mncedisi comes from a family of great footballers.  “My older brother Njabulo Nguse, who is also a goalkeeper like me, is part of the Orlando Pirates development academy,” said a proud Mncedisi.

The youngster’s football career started in the streets of Soweto.  It was while he was playing informally with his friends that he was approached by Nkosinathi Motlale, coach of Protea Glen FC who recruited him into the team. 

Then at the beginning of the year, at a friendly game between Protea Glen Stars and Mavi Stars, the Bree Primary coach, Bafana Dlamini invited the youngster to join the school.

“They spoke to my grandmother Lindiwe Nguse, who is my guardian, and they told her how good a goalkeeper I am and that Bree Primary School would like to offer me a full scholarship,” Mncedisi said. “My grandmother knows how much I love soccer and how important it is to me, so she immediately agreed to allow me to change schools and attend Bree.”

He started at Bree in February and adjusted easily. “Bree is a very good school and since I started there my grades have improved a lot. I have made friends.  Every one now knows me at the school especially now that we won the Danone Nations Cup. My team mates and I have become very popular at the school.  

Bree Principal, Mr Kalicharan, introduced Mncedisi to the Danone Nations Cup.  “We all know that the team won in 2009 and we decided we would go all out to try and do the same this year.  The provincial finals were a great experience, but the nationals took the cake. It was my first time playing against schools from other provinces and I had a great time meeting all of them. Before the final game against Nelson Mandela Primary Mr Kalicharan had a talk with me and prepared me mentally.  He used to be a goalkeeper and he knows the pressures that goalkeepers face during the game.”

When he learned that he will be going to Morocco the first people Mncedisi told were his grandmother and brother. “My gran is the most excited and also scared for me because she is scared of aeroplanes and flying. My brother, on the other hand, wishes it was him going to Morocco because he has never travelled internationally before.”

The team is hard at work preparing for the world finals and Mncedisi is getting special attention from Mr Kalicharan. “He has been telling me how different it is at international level. He told me that we will play against players that are very tall and that can aim very well, I need to maintain my cool and keep my eye on the ball at all times,” he said. “He also stressed the importance of communication, it is very important for a goalkeeper to communicate with your team at all times.

At home the youngster is also getting help from his brother.  “It helps that he is a goalkeeper as well so we get to share ideas and he teaches me a lot about catching high balls and low balls and how to distribute the ball.”

Bree, as former winners of the world title, know how important it is to represent the country well in Morocco, Mncedisi said. “I tell my team mates that we should be proud of ourselves for achieving what we have achieved. The big step now is the world finals, because Bree won in 2009 we are under a lot of pressure to win this year but we should not let that get to us.”

Mncedisi is adamant that professional soccer lies in his future. “I see myself being a part of development academy and going on to play professionally,” he said. “But I also want to study and become a lawyer, I love working with people and I enjoy helping people out with their problems.”

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

DNC Partners:

Bree Primary School youngster will be keeping the team spirits high as they prepare for Morocco

Tshegofatso Nkge will be travelling to Morocco in October with Bree Primary School to represent South Africa at the under-12 Danone Nations Cup World Finals, and according to the school Principal, Dave Kalicharan, this youngster will play a key role in the team leading up to and during the tournament.

“He is a great motivator and is always joking around and making his team mates laugh,” said Kalicharan.  “This is over and above the fact that he is a skilled centre back who one day wants to emulate his hero, Neil Tovey.”

Tshegofatso started playing soccer in the streets when he was 5 years old and was spotted by the coach of Naledi Academy, Bizza. “He saw my potential and mentored me and in 2013 he took me and 5 other players to attend trials at Bree Primary School. Three of us were successful, and I joined Bree in January 2014.”

The youngster has settled into the school well and has made many new friends and credits the success of the team to the dedication of the principal.  “It’s been great being a part of the school and I have adjusted very well. Mr Kalicharan loves soccer and makes sure that we participate in different tournaments. He is very dedicated.”

Playing in the Danone Nations Cup national finals is seen by Tshegofatso as one of the highlights of his life to date. “On that day we were filled with so many emotions; happy, excited, scared and intimidated. The final was against Nelson Mandela and from the start of the game I knew that we were going to win. They were a very strong team, but we were stronger and hungrier than they were. Winning the nationals made me realise how much I love soccer and how important it is to work hard.”

The world finals are a different ball game, Tshegofatso knows. “We will be playing against the best schools from different countries. There is a lot of pressure on us as everyone wants us to reach the same heights at the 2009 team that won the World Finals.  Our biggest advantage is the fact that our coach was at the world finals and has seen how different countries play soccer.”

Tshegofatso is looking forward to exploring Morocco. “I have never heard of the country before. I want to have fun and enjoy myself the entire time that I am there.”

On his return from Morocco the youngster is hoping to be signed by an academy that will take him a step closer to playing soccer professionally one day. “Soccer is my passion and I definitely want to make a career out of it and I know that there are plenty of scouts out there that come and see our games.”

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

DNC Partners:

The 2009 Danone Nations Cup World Final Winners, Bree Primary School win the Gauteng Danone Nations Cup

The Gauteng provincial championship playoffs in the under-12 Danone Nations Cup took place at the WJ Clements Stadium in Reiger Park on Saturday and from the word go there were only two teams in the tournament.

Bree Primary School and Sonqoba Primary School, two of the most successful teams in Gauteng down the years, dominated their groups and met in the final.

Sonqoba had made the final game of the Gauteng provincial finals in the two previous years, winning the 2013 final to represent the province in the National Finals. Bree were the last South African winners of the Danone Nations Cup World Finals in 2009. Sonqoba finished the group stages unbeaten scoring 8 goals in their 3 games, while Bree Primary School started well by beating Christian Progressive Academy 2-0 but then got overconfident and drew with one of the weaker schools in the competition, Tsumbedzo Primary School 1-1, and went down on penalties. Bree Primary School did just enough to win their group ahead of Christian Progressive Academy and advance to the final.

The final game was a tight contest and Bree had the best chances in the first half but kicked a ball just wide in open play then watched a free kick drift past the left hand corner of the goal.

The second half was a game of chess that saw both teams battle to get anywhere near the goal until the stroke of full time when Bree was awarded a penalty. The penalty kick was a decent one but thanks to a fantastic save by the Sonqoba goalkeeper they could not score.

So, it was 0-0 at the end and Bree won the penalty shootout 2-0 to advance to the national finals which will be at the same venue on the 27^th of June.

Mr Devanand Kallicharan, headmaster of Bree Primary School and manager of the team, said he was delighted with the win, but also concerned, “We have a good team and the team played well during the tournament but I have a couple of concerns, the first is that two of our top players got injured in the first game of the Provincial finals so I am not sure if they will be fit enough for the National finals and the second is that we had a lot of good opportunities in today’s game and we were not able to score."

Mandla Mazibuko, Mamelodi Sundowns scout and coach was there to run his eye over the players and he said there was a lot of good talent on display, “Going into the final game, Sonqoba were the favourites due to their precision in front of the goals but Bree Primary School played the better game in the final. I have identified players from all of the teams in the tournament and I will come to the national finals to see how some of these players play against the top opposition in their age group."

Danone Nations Cup Gauteng Results

Bree Primary School 2 vs Christian Progressive Primary School 0

Sikhulisile Primary School 1 vs Nancefield Primary School 3

Michael Mkhwanazi Primary School vs  Tsumbedzo Primary School 0

Arcon Park Primary School 1vs  Sonqoba Primary School 2

Bree Primary School  1vs  Michael Mkhwanazi Primary School  0

Sikhulisile Primary School vs  0 Arcon Park Primary School 1

Christian Progressive School  1 vs Tsumbedzo Primary School 0

Nancefield Primary School  0 vs Sonqoba Primary School 3

Tsumbedzo Primary School 1 (2) vs Bree Primary School 1 (0)

Sonqoba Primary School 3  vs Sikhulisile Primary School 0

Michael Mkhwanazi Primary 1 vs Christina Progressive School  3

Arcon Park Primary School 0 (2)  vs Nancefield 0 (3)

Final

Bree 0 (2) vs  Sonqoba 0 (0)

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

DNC Partners:

Bree Primary hopes to relive their 2009 Danone Nations Cup success

Johannesburg’s Bree Primary – the 2009 Danone Nations Cup world title holders - are through to the Gauteng provincial finals of the 2015 competition and ready to regain their former glory.

The finals will be the WJ Clements Stadium in Reiger Park on 13th June.

Their team manager, and principal of the school, Devanand Kalicharran, explains that they have virtually the same team that entered the competition last year, and their performances in the competition so far have shown that they have benefited greatly from the experience they have picked up.

“Last year we simply did not score enough goals,“ he said. “We drew two games and only won one at the provincials and were eliminated. Now, we have played 11 games and won them all.

“The team has a much better attitude, they are more mature and confident and we are well prepared. We are participating in local leagues and in different soccer tournaments so the players have been able to get a lot of game time, which has made them bond as a team.”

The school’s track record in the competition has made them a target, Kalicharran explains. “Every school that we play, from cluster level up, see us a threat and want to prove that they can beat us. But we have an edge over the other teams, we have been at this level before we know what to expect.”

Goal-scoring was a problem last year, but the team’s strikers, Lunga Nonkelela and Tshepo Baitshumedi are in good form, both have scored six goals so far, and Kalicharran sees them as key players for the team. “Our goalkeeper Mncedisi Nguse, has also grown greatly and we have 3 good defenders in Ntando Simayele, Kgomolemo Dladla and Tsegofatso Ikge.”

Coaching and managing kids is tough, Kalicharran said. “They are easily demotivated and it’s my job to make sure that when they start feeling that way I quickly get them back up.

“I often talk of the miracle team of 2009. I tell them that the 2009 team was no different to them, they didn’t have special powers. We didn’t expect them to win the World Finals, but they won because they worked hard and they believed in themselves. I tell this team to work hard and believe in themselves too.

The school has maintained its relationship with Orlando Pirates and still supplies players to their youth Academy. They are also associated with Stars of Africa Football Academy. They regularly visit the school and check out the talent.

“We will win the provincials this year, I believe that the teams is capable it,” Kalicharran said. “We still have the same coach Bafana Dlamini, and he is still dedicated to the team and its success. We have rectified our mistakes, the only challenge we have is that the week of the provincials is exam week at the school, so we are trying to figure out how we will fit in 1 good training session before the provincials next Saturday.”

The Gauteng provincial contenders are:

Bree Primary School-JHB North District

Sonqoba Primary School-Ekurhuleni South District

Nancefield Primary School- JHB Central District

Sikhulisile Primary School- Gauteng North District

Michael Mkhwanazi Primary School- Gauteng East District

Christian Progressive College- Tshwane West District

Tsumbedzo Primary School - JHB West District

Acorn Park Primary School-Sedibeng District

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

Danone Partners

Gauteng school hopes to repeat their Danone Nations Cup past success

Johannesburg’s Bree Primary School will always be remembered as the school that won an under-12 Danone Nations Cup world title for South Africa.

In 2010 they won the world finals at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, after the previous year’s tournament in Brazil was held over because of the worldwide outbreak of H1N1 influenza (swine flu). So, they are the official 2009 Danone Nations Cup world champions, and they represented South Africa in the 2008 world finals in France as well.

They will be trying to relive those glory days this year and the first step will be on Saturday 14^th June at Reiger Park’s WJ Clements Stadium when they play in the Gauteng provincial finals of the competition. Games kick-off at 9am.  Gauteng is the final province to host their finals with the nine provincial winners going on to compete in the national finals on 28 June to determine the school to represent South Africa at the World Finals in Brazil.

Bree Primary School’s principal Devanand Kalicharran is also the team’s manager. He recalls 2010 fondly. “We were happy that we won this prestigious tournament at home with our supporters cheering us on. The Danone Nations Cup changed the lives of the 2008 and 2009 players; travelling abroad, being in newspapers, doing interviews, meeting our legendary past president, Mr Nelson Mandela and meeting kids from all around the world showed them they can achieve anything that they want to achieve in life,” he said.

Kalicharran puts the success of those teams down to hard work. “You need to work hard in order to obtain maximum results and that’s what the 2008 and 2009 teams did,” he said. “Both teams were made up of determined individuals who wanted to bring change to the school and I guess sharing the same goal made it possible for us to win even though it was not easy.”

Kalicharran says he tries to keep in touch with some of those players. Some are still studying at high school and others are at university. “Our captain of the winning team in 2009 was Njabulo Magubane who is currently studying and he plays for the South African under- 19 team.  He regularly comes to the school and helps us with coaching. He does motivational talks with the students, especially with the aspiring soccer players at the school,” Kalicharran said.

The current Bree Primary team has been groomed since 2012 and have done well so far this year. “Playing in the districts was tough but we managed to pull through all those games,” Kalicharran said. “We need to focus on our strikers and mid fielders, they need to create more chances and score goals. I believe that they are capable of repeating what the 2008 and 2009 teams did.”

Bafana Dlamini, who coached the 2009 world champion team, is still in charge of the team. “The team’s progress has been due to his excellent coaching skills and he strongly believes that this team could well win the title for the school, ´ said Kalicharran. “We are both very passionate about soccer and about making a difference in the lives of these boys. That’s why we enter this tournament because we know that it will have a huge impact in their lives and on their soccer careers.”

Kalicharran is reluctant to single out individual players. “The entire team is brilliant; I can’t single out one specific player as they play as a united front. I appreciate their dedication, they are young but their attitude is that of professional players.”

The schools participating in the Gauteng provincial finals are:

Bree Primary School-Johannesburg South region

Lotus Primary School- Tshwane West region

Sihluziwe Primary-Gauteng North region

Sonqoba Primary-Ekurhuleni South region

Faramere Primary-Ekurhuleni North region

Matlhasedi Primary-Gauteng West

Arcon Park Primary-Sedibeng East

Nationwide Primary-Johannesburg South

Danone Partners:

Football Development in South Africa took centre stage in Gauteng this past weekend

Johannesburg Secondary School will be the Gauteng representative at the under-15 COPA Coca-Cola National Finals in Tshwane in early July.

Johannesburg Secondary beat Clapham High School 2-0 in the final of the Gauteng provincial playoffs at the Saul Tsotetsi Sports Grounds in Sebokeng on Saturday.

2012 is the first year that COPA Coca-Cola will be an Under 15 tournament and is run under the auspices of the South African Schools Football Association (SASFA) with over 1 000 schools from around South Africa competing.

Johannesburg Secondary School is the education partner to the Orlando Pirates Youth Academy, while Clapham had players from the Mamelodi Sundowns Youth Academy in its ranks.

The presence of four Academy teams out of the eight participating in the Gauteng provincials - Highlands North Boys’ High School (JazzyQueen’s African Sport Academy) and Rosina Sedibane High School (SuperSport United) are the other two – indicates that the PSL Clubs are on a mission to boost their squads with home grown talent.

“It is the way forward,” said Themba Ngwenya, Mamelodi Sundowns scout. “The Sundowns philosophy is to look for local talent at an early age and get them into our academy to teach them the Sundowns way which is the 4-3-3 format and attacking football. Our club owner, Mr Motsepe, is also doing all he can to boost the Tshwane communities.”

Isaac Shai, the Clapham and Sundowns Academy coach was pleased with the way the day went. “We went down to a mightier opponent, but I am happy with my team. We only enrolled our players into Clapham earlier this year and we have done exceptionally well in just a few months,” he said.

I am especially pleased with the way the players approached each game. They kept their composure and never forgot the game plan.”

Johannesburg Secondary School had a big advantage: 13 of the 17 players in their squad have been together since primary school. As a team, they won a 40 nation international tournament at the Orlando Stadium back in 2009.

Rosina Sedibane suffered a setback earlier in the day when their key midfielder, OrbadjaMaluleka fell and broke his wrist so had to be taken to hospital. “It is a pity as he is our key ball supplier to the strikers,” said their coach, Reginald Patterson. “I did have back up in Zama Mzondwana, also a midfielder whose special talent is his ability to read opponents. But it was not our day and all the best to Johannesburg Secondary School.”

Craig Van Niekerk, Coca-Cola South Africa Marketing Asset Manager explains the change of age group:  “The change is in line with COPA Coca-Cola’s global strategy. The Coca-Cola Company backs football at the highest level, the FIFA World Cup™ and it is the company policy to complement this by making a direct contribution towards strengthening the sport at grassroots level through tournaments such as COPA Coca-Cola, and globally the tournament is run as an Under-15 event.  Coca-Cola South Africa also backs Club football through the Premier Soccer League (PSL).”

“But COPA Coca-Cola is not just about winning, but respecting diversity,” explains Donnay Carter, Coca-Cola South Africa Brand Manager.  “It’s about living a healthy and active lifestyle, forging friendships with those from vastly different backgrounds, harnessing the extraordinary power that football has to unite different cultures and backgrounds to bring people together and living for a difference. ”

GUATENG FINAL RESULTS

Pool A - Clapham 3 (Lovers Malatsi, Avuyile Makhudu, Tepiso Mbongwa) Highlands North 0; ThomasMofolo 1 (Tshediso Monamadi) BasaTutorial Institute 0; Clapham 1 (AvuyileMakhudu) Thomas Mofolo 1 (TshedisoMonamadi); Highlands North 3 (Warren Segage3) Basa 0; Clapham 8 (Avuyile Makhudu(3), Lovers Malatsi (3), Sizwe Chuene, Thomas Njajubana) Basa 0; Thomas Mofolo 5 (Tshediso Monanadi (4) Thabo Modubu ) Highlands North 1 (Warren Segage).

Pool B - Johannesburg 3 (Sibusiso Damini, Thula Tabethe, Sizwe Twala) Zitikeni 1 (Mongezi Sicna); Rosina Sedibane 6 (Banjatwa Hendrik (3), Mabange Sizwe (2), Thuto Marafe) EdendalePeps 1(Kagiso Maredi); Johannesburg 8 (Bonolo Sieeco, Sizwe Twala (2), Sibusiso Dlamini (2), Sibusiso Sako, Phila Vela, DanisileMqwathi), Edendale Peps 0; Rosina Sedibane 3 (OfentseMotjaana (2), Tshegofatso Pampati) Edendale Peps 1 (Kagiso Maredi); Johannesburg 1 (Sizwe Twala) Rosina Sedibane 0); Zitikeni 3 (Siche Mongezi, Tebogo Thepe, Sifiso Mtshwei ) Edendale 1(Ofentse Makhatho);

Final- Johannesburg 2 (ThulaThabethe, Mbongiseni Mazibuko) Clapham 0.

About COPA Coca-Cola:

·         Copa Coca-Cola is run under the auspices of the South African Schools Football Association (SASFA)

·         Coca-Cola started sponsoring Coca-Cola Football Stars in 2005.

·         Between 2005 and 2008 a TV reality element was introduced aimed at finding the top 18 players who would go on to compete internationally.  To keep interests high an elimination process was brought in to reduce players from approximately 70 down to 18 and the public witnessed the trials and tribulations that went into becoming a top football player.

·         In 2009 and 2010 the name changed to bring the tournament in line with Coca-Cola’s global youth strategy to COPA Coca-Cola.  The aim of the tournament remained the same i.e. to look for the top Under-19 school in the country and find the top 18 players who then competed against approximately 13 other African schools in the Copa Coca-Cola finals. 

·         In 2012 COPA Coca-Cola became an Under 15 tournament to align with the Copa Coca-Cola globally. 

·         The tournament starts off at Cluster level (this level is now complete as it happened in January)

·         Regional winners then compete in the Provincial Finals

·         Provincial winners then compete in the National Finals taking place from the 3^rd – 7^th July.