SA U19 all-rounder leads Saint Andrews to Knights Coca-Cola T20 Franchise victory

Coca-Cola South Africa U19 and ICC world XI all-rounder, Gerald Coetzee, led his team to victory as the Bloemfontein based Saint Andrews defeated Northern Cape High School to secure a spot in Coca-Cola Schools T20 National Finals.

St. Andrews made it to the franchise finals after defeating their rivals, Grey College, last week. St. Andrews played Northern Cape High at Diamond Oval, Kimberley on Friday 23 February where they won and will therefore represent the central franchise, Knights, at Coca-Cola Schools T20 National Finals.

St. Andrews won the toss and elected to bat first. After losing an early wicket of Henre Koekemoer, Gerald Coetzee went on to the crease to join Garnett Tarr. Their partnership of 123 runs from 87 balls ( 10x4, 6x5) gave the bowlers and fielders a hard time on the field. Northern Cape High finally had a breakthrough when Jaun Mpofu bowled Gerald Coetzee out for 71 runs from 50 balls (7x4, 4x6). Shortly after Gerald’s fall Garnett was dismissed by Zacharea Mason for 53 runs from 39 balls (4x4, 1x6). Pheko Moletsane also came to the show and was unbeated at the end of the innings for 32* from 13 balls (4x4, 1x6). St. Andrews set a target of 189 for Northen Cape High to chase.

The hosts started on a good foot as they were 98/3, but things took a sour turn when they lost 3 wickets to Gerald Coetzee’s last over (consisting of 2 runouts and a caught behind wicket) thereby taking them to 103/6. Reeza Alexander of Northern Cape High did not give up without a fight as he managed to score 58 from 51 balls for his team. Northern Cape High ended their innings on 139/9. Saint Andrews won by 48 runs and will therefore represent Knights at Coca-Cola Schools T20 National Finals.

Tournament ambassador and Proteas batsman, Temba Bavuma, was impressed by Reeza Alexander’s resilience, and was included in Coca-Cola T20 All-Star team to take on a Cricket South Africa Development Hub team at the National Finals.

“I’m a little disappointed that we lost today as we worked very hard to get here, but I’m also very excited to get another opportunity from Coca-Cola to go to the national finals and showcase my talent,” said Reeza Alexander.

Mason Zacharea, Northern Cape’s left arm spinner, showed great control and responsibility during pressure situations and earned himself a spot in the Coca-Cola T20 All-Star team.

Zacharea commented, “It feels great to be selected by someone like Temba Bavuma. I can’t wait to meet the other players in the all-star team. I’m looking forward to making new friends.”

Mason Zacharea and Reeza Alexander join Matthew Montgomery and Simon Holmes from Clifton College in the Coca-Cola T20 All-Star team. 

To engage with the tournament online, search #WhereHeroesAreMade on Twitter or visit @CocaCola_ZA and @OfficialCSA

Roodepan Primary School wins Danone Nations Cup Northern Cape Provincial Final

Roodepan Primary School from Francis Baard District, Upington, Kimberley have retained the Northern Cape Danone Nations Cup provincial trophy, after beating Keidebees Primary School 3-2 on penalties at the Xolisile Dicky Jacobs Stadium, Upington, over the weekend.

“It’s exciting and humbling to get the opportunity to represent the Northern Cape at the national finals again this year,” said team manager, Enricho Chapman. “The next step is to redeem ourselves at the nationals and we want to be the first team from the Northern Cape to win the trip to represent South Africa at the world finals in Morocco this year.”

Chapman credited the players for the win resulting from the hard work they put in from the cluster level of the tournament.  “The boys put in the time and effort.  They have been disciplined, focused and always listened to the coach (Christopher Jafta) and we are proud of them.”

There were two players from 2014 back in the team again; Given Beyers and Jemone Kaffer.  “Jemone, who we call ‘Messi’ is of particular value to the team,” said Chapman.  “He is not just a skilled player but is also a great motivator.”

Roodepan is boosted this year by youngsters from the Technical High Soccer Academy.  “This year we have become affiliated to the Academy and we educate all their youngsters.  Of the current team we have only two that are not affiliated to the academy,” said Chapman.  “This is very helpful as the boys have professional coaches looking after them and they know what to expect.  I think that we have an excellent chance of winning this year.”

Keidebees Primary was Roodepan’s toughest competition says Chapman, who went to college with the team manager, Mr Matthy.  “We both wanted to prove a point to each other.  It was a tough game and ended in a 0-0 draw but we managed to win on penalties.”

Chapman says that their finishing was their down fall last year. “We missed a lot of chances last year and we didn’t execute properly and this is what we will be focusing on over the next couple of months.  We know that the 2015 Free State school Nelson Mandela were also at the national last year.  We beat them so feel confident that we can do that this time around as well.”

One player that Chapman rates very highly is striker, Laumad Williams. “He scored 5 goals for us on Saturday and received the Danone Nations Cup top goalscorer.  This youngster is with the Academy and has a bright future ahead of him if he remains focused and believes in his dreams.”

Results

Roodepan Primary 0 (2) vs. Dr Izak van Niekerk 0 (1)

Rapelang Primary 0 (1) vs.  Keidebees Primary 0 (2)

Van Rensburg Primary 0 vs Roodepan Primary 1

Dr Izak van Niekerk 1 vs.  Rapelang Primary 0

Keidebees Primary 1 vs. Van Rensburg Primary 2

Roodepan Primary 4 vs. Rapelang Primary 0

Dr Izak van Niekerk 0 vs.  Keidebees Primary 1

Rapelang Primary 1 vs. Van Rensburg Primary 0

Keidebees Primary 1 vs. Roodepan Primary 0

Van Rensburg Primary 1 vs. Dr Izak van Niekerk 0

Final

Keidebees Primary 0 (2) vs. Roodepan Primary 0 (3) 

Can Rietvale High School make four consecutive Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup wins?

Rietvale High School, from the small town of Ritchie, close to Kimberley has won the Northern Cape Provincial title in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup for a remarkable 3 successive times, and will be in the running again when this year’s provincial playoffs take place on August 30 at the  AR Abbas Stadium in Kimberley.

Barry Kammies, the team’s manager, said the school has been fortunate to have a crop of talented players over the years, and the indications are that this year’s team matches up to the standards of previous sides.

“We have a strong, tight team again this year and I am sure that they want to continue the winning streak,” he said. “With that being said the school has never finished within the top four at the national finals and our goal this year is to change this.”

Kammies said their strategy for the provincial finals is to play as a united team. “Our success is built on team performance not on individual performance,” he said. “I don’t have a key player but I have several key players that contribute to the team’s success.”

The 2014 Rietvale team is very experienced. There are 10 players from last year that are still eligible to participate and they have been taking the lead in mentoring some of the new players in the squad.  “They have been proactive and I could not have asked for more from them, this is what I want from players – to take initiative and get the job done,” Kammies said.

The team has played 7 games so far, winning them all.  The games at cluster level were particularly competitive. “Having won the provincial title for three successive years we are obviously the team to beat and I could see all our competitors had prepared well so there was not a single game that I can say was easy,” Kammies said.

last year’s Northern Cape runners-up, Okiep, will also be competing in the provincial finals and Kammies sees them as their strongest opposition. “They were strong and competitive last year and I am sure that they have upped their game for this year’s leg of the tournament. We beat them 2-1 last year and I have a feeling that we will face up against them again this year at the finals. They will be looking for revenge, but we will defend our title to the very end.”

The school’s success story is Evander Spandiel, who plays for Thanda Royal Zulu in the Premier League. He was part of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 teams that won the provincial titles.

The team’s coach, Kasper Spandiel, has been coaching the school for years now and has done a great job in grooming the team technically and tactically. “He coaches all our age divisions, so the players know him and they are all used to his approach,” Kammies said. “He has been integral in the team’s success in all tournament we participate in.”

The school has put the funding they received from their 2011 and 2012 provincial titles to good use. They put up palisade fencing around the entire school, installed an air conditioner and installed a 40-station intercom system into the classrooms.  The R100 000 won last year has not been used as yet and Kammies is hoping that if they win this year the winnings will be combined and used to improve their soccer field. “Currently it’s just an open area that we use for training, we would like to develop it into a top-of-the -range facility.”

Participating Teams

·         Rietvale High School-Francis Baard District

·         Okiep high School-Namaqua District

·         Gamohana Senior Secondary School-John Taolo Gaetsewe District

·         Bongani High School-Pixley Ka Seme District

·         Kakamas High School-ZF Mgcawu  District 

POWERADE PICTURES OF THE 2ND ODI BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICA AND NEW ZEALAND

The Proteas have a drinks break

Faf du Plessis and Brendon McCullum toss the coin for the second time at the Diamond Oval Kimberley

Graeme Smith and Collin Ingram have a drinks break

Robin Petersen tosses a Powerade suqeeze bottle 

Brendon McCullum speaks to media after New Zealand win their first ever ODI series in South Africa

Kane Williamson speaks after scoring his match winning 145*

2011 COPA COCA-COLA RUNNER-UP GET THEIR WISHES FULFILLED

For the learners at Sol Plaatje Secondary School in Mmabatho it could have appeared as if Youth Day was celebrated earlier than June 16, but the celebrations were in line with the unveiling of goods purchased for the school as runners-up in the 2011 Copa Coca-Cola soccer tournament for the Under-18’s.

The prize money amounted to R100 000 in goods for the school and the wish list included a new treadmill, pacer bike, power stack, tracksuits, soccer and netball kits, and an overhead projector. This equipment, team manager Clifford Shale explains, will be used for the school’s new gym. Unlike many schools that only allow athletes to make use of its facilities, this gym will be accessible to every learner and teacher at the school.

“At Sol Plaatje Secondary School, we believe in the saying that a healthy mind dwells in a healthy body,” says Clifford Shale. “We have always emphasised the need for exercise and healthy food, and it is great to be able to put our money where our mouth is by now having our own gym that everyone at our school will be able to access.”

But there is more to Copa Coca-Cola than having a wish list come true. The tournament serves to develop as well as showcase new talent, which can, hopefully, be channelled to the professional leagues and the national team. “Copa Coca-Cola creates the platform for high school players interested in a professional football career to be seen by scouts from SAFA as well as the PSL and First Division teams,” Themba Nobanda, Brand Manager of Coca-Cola South Africa explains. “Coca-Cola is committed to nurturing grassroots talent  towards South Africa’s legacy, while encouraging an active lifestyle among the youth.”

Over the years, Copa Coca-Cola has unearthed a number of youngsters that have gone on to become professional players, like Andile Jali currently at Orlando Pirates and also a Bafana Bafana player.  Mandla Masango of Kaizer Chiefs is also a Copa Coca-Cola graduate. This year, a number of Sol Plaatje players have been identified by scouts as being promising young footballers that can soon be playing in the professional realm – look out for them in the upcoming seasons. 

Copa Coca-Cola was a very exciting tournament for both the coach and the team of Sol Plaatje, Shale reflects. The squad, having doubted in their ability to perform in the tournament earlier on, learned that they should always believe in themselves. The boys from North West Province surely proved the difference it makes to believe in its capabilities when it narrowly lost against overall winners HTS Louis Botha in the final in Kimberley.

National Copa Coca-Cola winners HTS Louis Botha pocketed R150 000, while third placed Western Cape Sports School take R60 000 worth of school and sport equipment. This is over and above the R40 000 that each Provincial winner pocketed earlier in the tournament.

Sol Plaatje Secondary School is already looking forward to next year’s competition, Shale says. “There is only one position better than second - and that is number one,” he comments. “And we will definitely be back again next year to try and win the cup. It is a great tournament with a very high standard of play, and the way the team sees their work on the field translate into something good for the school is a very good life lesson.”

(L-R)Amelda Gouws from Coca-Cola, School Coach Mr Shale, Sol Plaatje SS Principal Mrs Kanagaratham and SASFA North West NEC Ms Mathibela

Sol Plaatje Secondary School Soccer Team during thier handover Ceremony

COPA COCA-COLA NATIONAL FINALS TURN UP SOME SURPRISES

The first day of the Copa Coca-Cola national finals currently underway at the Galeshewe Stadium in Kimberley was one to remember with scintillating action on the pitch and fans getting the opportunity to have a picture taken with Lucas Radebe to fill the gaps and thrill the crowds in between play.

Behind the excitement and anticipation the nine competing Provincial teams each played two games in their respective Groups – and it was a day of surprises.

Each Group had one sports school academy included and in the first couple of games of the day each won comfortably.  But as the day wore on not all managed to keep the momentum going, one being the Benny’s Care team from the Benny’s Sport Development Academy (Limpopo).  After winning their first game against Ndamase from the Eastern Cape 5 – 2, they crashed out against Sol Plaatjies from North West 2 – 1 to finish second in Group B missing the opportunity to compete in the semifinals.

But Benny’s players can hold their heads up high as Sol Plaatjie Secondary School from Mafikeng is an exceptionally strong football school and they might not be an academy, but many of the players have competed internationally. Sol Plaatjie Team manager, Thomas Shale explains:  “Mogorosi Mmethi (scored one goal today) and Norman Manong were amongst the top five players who were selected nationally in a schools tournament to spend some time abroad in Manchester and Brazil. In 2009 Kagiso Mahabane, Lehlohonolo Marumo (the joint leading goalscorer after the first day of play with 5 goals) and Jovian Jacobs spent 12 months in Brazil (Ole Futbol Academy) while other team members represented their respective primary schools at very high levels in the past.” 

Shale further has complete faith in his team captain, Lebogang Phetlhu, who, for the past five years, has represented the North West Province at numerous national tournaments.  “The only reason why we are usually classified as underdogs is that our school is situated in Mafikeng where not much publicity is done,” he says.

Shale says that a win in Copa Coca-Cola will put the school solidly on the soccer map. “In 2006 when we first entered Copa Coca-Cola my players were very young and we lost at cluster level.  Last year we made it to the Provincial finals. The dream has always been to reach the National finals; this is our first time and we are determined to do well.”

Another Sports Academy, HTS Louis Botha, from the Free State comfortably beat Freddy Sithole (Mpumalanga) 4 - 2 and Mohloli  (Gauteng) 5 – 1 to top Group C.  It is the third time that the technical high school is participating in Copa Coca-Cola, having reached fourth place in the Nationals as their best performance.  Despite having lost three players to Sundowns and Chiefs at the end of last year, they are pleased to have reached the National Finals and now to have gone through to the semifinals. 

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The team’s manager, Johann Wessels, believes that the team’s good mix of talent, youth and experience count in their favour where it matters - on the pitch. “This is the first big tournament of the year,” he says. “The guys are fresh and ready for some good competition. There is good cohesion in the team, and a great spirit. So we will go out there and do our best tomorrow and get to the finals.”

It was no surprise to see the Western Cape Sports School, another academy, top Group 1.  However, it was not plain sailing.  The team beat the hosts, Kakamas, 2 – 1 but only managed to draw 1all against Groudville from KZN (the latter team was later disqualified after fielding improperly registered players.  The same applied to Ndamase from the Eastern Cape)

Tomorrow, Friday 1 April, all teams play for their final positions.  The day will end with the 2 semifinals to decide who gets through to the Finals happening on Saturday, 2 April at 12pm. 

Copa Coca-Cola is one of South Africa’s premier tournaments for under-18 schools. Not only are there generous prizes up for grabs, but talent scouts have been keeping their eyes open for new talent that can be developed to feed into the country’s existing talent pool. The prize money for the national winner is R150 000; second place receives    R100 000 and third place R60 000. This is over and above the R40 000 cash prize each team receives for making it past the provincial level.

GROUP A                                             GROUP B                                 GROUP C                    

Groudville (KZN)                        Benny’s Care (Limp)                  HTS Louis Botha (FS)

Kakamas (NC)                           Ndamase (EC)                           Freddy Sithole (MPUM)

WP Sports School (WC)                        Sol Plaatjie (NW)                       Mohloli (Gaut)

RESULTS:  31 MARCH 2011 

Groudville GOALS:   Sibongiseni Magaye 5 (2 goals)	2 – 5	Kakamas GOALS:  Malvin Arends 15, Matthew Busby 9, Vernon Saals 11 (2 goals) Elfrit Louw 8
Benny’s Care GOALS:  Rendani Galedzana 8, Yona Mulaudzi  9 (2 goals), Clement Maphaba 2, Lloid Davhana 7,	5 - 1	Ndamase GOAL:  Lizo Vava 8
HTS Louis Botha GOALS:  Sizwe Ngoma 10 (2 goals), Thabiso Mothajana 7, Thabang Mothajana 11	4 - 2	Freddy Sithole GOALS:  Nhlanhla Madalane 2 (2 goals)
Kakamas GOALS:  Vernon Saals 11	1 - 2	WC Sports School GOALS:  Nathan Adams 9, Mpendulo Mkaza 8
Ndamase GOALS:  Bagcine Sinqa 12	1 - 3	Sol Plaatjie GOALS:  Lehlohonolo Marumo 5 (2 goals), Mogorosi Mmethi 10
Freddy Sithole	0 - 2	Mohloli GOALS:  Vilakazi Siphiwe 4 (2 goals)
WC Sport School GOAL:  Nathan Adams 9	1 - 1	Groudville GOAL:  Mlondolozi Mgobhozi 9
Sol Plaatjie GOALS:  Lehlohonolo Marumo 5 (2 goals)	2 - 1	Benny’s Care GOALS:  Yona Mulaudzi 9
Mohloli GOAL:  Siphiwe Vilakazi 4	1 - 5	HTS Louis Botha GOALS:  Charlie Hlalele 13, Thabang Mathajane 11, Sizwe Ngoma 10 (3 goals)

LOG POSITIONS

GROUP A

	Groudville (disqualified)	Kakamas	WP Sport School	Points
Groudville (KZN)		2 – 5	1 - 1	1
Kakamas (NC)	5 – 2		1 - 2	3
W Cape Sport School (WC)	1 – 1	2 – 1		4

GROUP B

	Benny’s Care	Ndamase (disqualified)	Sol Plaatjie	Points
Benny’s Care(Limp)		5 – 1	1 - 2	3
Ndamase (EC)	1 – 5		1 - 3	0
Sol Plaatjie (NW)	2 – 1	3 - 1		6

GROUP C

	HTS Louis Botha	Freddy Sithole	Mohloli	Points
HTS Louis Botha  (FS)		4 – 2	5 - 1	6
Freddy Sithole (Mpum)	2 – 4		0 - 2	0
Mohloli (Gaut)	1 – 5	2 - 0		3

FIXTURES:  1 APRIL 2011 

Penalty shoot out between Kakamas and Benny’s Care
POSITION 5:  Kakamas/Benny’s Care		Freddy Sithole
SEMIFINAL 1:  HTS Louis Botha		Kakamas/Benny’s Care/Freddy Sithole
POSITION 6/7:  Kakamas/Benny’s Care/Freddy Sithole		Mohloli
SEMIFINAL 2:  Western Cape Sports School		Sol Plaatjie