Gauteng giants face up in the U19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Inter District Finals

The new school term has only just begun, but it’s straight into the action for Pretoria’s Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sports School as they face Clapham High School in a Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation, Gauteng inter-districts clash on Thursday 23rd July, at Rosina.

Reginald Paterson, the school’s deputy principal and coach of the team, explains that his team is young and inexperienced, but up for the challenge.

“We are no longer affiliated to the SuperSport United youth academy,” he explained, “so we have to stand on our own feet now. But this team has been together for a few years now and we are optimistic about them.”

Paterson, who started coaching soccer at Rosina 11 years ago and has a level 2 coaching qualification, has been with the team since they were under-13s. The 2015 side is basically the school’s under-17 team, with a few experienced players left over from last year’s competition.

“They have adjusted well to playing at the U19 level and should they not make it this year they have another 2 years in this tournament,” Paterson said. “The team has been playing together for a long time so they are used to each other and communicate very well on the field.”

Paterson sees the adjustment to playing without the SuperSport affiliation as an advantage because it means that they will start relying on their own strengths and their own players.

“The current team we built from scratch.  Each year we hold our own trails and we get some of the best players around, but unfortunately we end up losing them to big teams. Not so long ago SuperSport signed two of our players, Katlego Mohamme and Kamohelo Mahlatsi. Of course we want them to stay with us but at the end of the day they have to better their careers in soccer, and being a part of an academy is what will get them closer to their dreams of playing professional soccer.”

Rosina Sedibane was last in the national finals in 2013 and Paterson is confident that they will be there again this year. “I have been preaching to the team how important it is to put in the hard work. Clapham has players from the Sundowns academy and they have been very successful in this tournament before. We played in the local schools league and they beat us 2-0 but that does not mean they will do this again.

"Our strengths lie in our determination to do well and make a name for ourselves.  The Supersport United academy players went over to Holy Trinity and they have been knocked out and there is no reason we should feel intimidated when facing the Sundowns academy players at Clapham.”

2015 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup games begin in Free State's Virginia Region

Harmony High School of Virginia in the Free State is the most successful team in the history of the under-19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup competition, sponsored by Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation having won a staggering R2.7 million over the past 5 years. Since 2010 the school has won the national title, finished second, third and fourth places. 

Only once – in 2013 – were they not Free State provincial champions after being beaten by Bloemfontein’s HTS Louis Botha. 

Their 2015 campaign begins on Saturday 18^th April, on their home field, when the Virginia Cluster games in the Lejweleputswa District will take place with four other teams including:  Marematlou, Mamello, Meloding and Reatlehile High Schools.

Hector Mokhali, Harmony’s team manager, says that although they meet the same schools at cluster level every year, and they have always beaten them, they are not complacent.  “We know that we are the most targeted team in the tournament. All schools want to win and progress through to the next round.  We have to work hard to ensure that we win,” he said.

Mokhali explains that, while they make sure that they don’t put pressure on the team to exceed the previous year’s side, pressure is self-inflicted. “It’s more a case of wanting to prove a point and show to us that they can also win the tournament and play better than the previous teams,” he said.

“I think that having pressure is a good thing for the players because it stops them from becoming complacent and drives them to achieve more.”

The Harmony Sports Academy was established in 2004, Mokhali explained. “We were inspired by the talent that Free State has and we wanted to give the players a chance to be exposed to a higher level of soccer. We are the only Academy in Free State and we source our players all over the province. We hold trials in December and usually look for 14 and 15 year- olds.

“We groom them for 5 years, and after they have completed their Grade 12 they get released from the Academy but we do try and place them with professional teams. Not all of them get to make,” he explains.

Mokhali says the team is ready for the games this week.  “Our advantage is that the players live in the boarding houses and training doesn’t stop when the schools are on holiday. We train every day, coach Pitso Mokoena has been working very hard with the team.  We still have 13 players from last year’s team, so we didn’t bring in a lot of new players. The boys know the mistakes they made during last year’s national finals.”

It’s just the first step and Mokhali said they are looking forward to meeting HTS Louis Botha. “They are a strong team and the one to beat to win the R100 000 provincial winnings again. ”

Thaba Jabula from Pimville, Soweto is preparing for the 2015 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup

Preparations have begun for Thaba Jabula Secondary School from Soweto, Gauteng, after registrations closed this week for the 2015 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation.  

The school represented the Gauteng province at last year’s national finals, and the team’s manager/coach, Cassius Mpati, says they have been hard at work, preparing for this year’s competition.

The school competes in the Pimville Cluster in the JHB North Region and the first games will be played at the Nike Centre on 24^th April.  So far they have played 2 friendly games, and are planning on playing a few more before the tournament starts.

“We still have time to prepare the team, and the teams that we will be playing against in the cluster don’t scare us,” he said. “We are used to playing against them and have beaten them before and I have no doubt in my mind that this year will be the same.”

The school has lost 5 members of last year’s team, who have either finished school, or are now too old.

So a number of under-17s have come up into the under-19 team. “We have also taken in 3 new players, Happy Mashiane, Thato Tshabalala and Given Thibedi who are from the Kaizer Chiefs Academy,” Mpati said. “They are from Tembisa and Kaizer Chiefs has moved them to Soweto so that they could be close to where they train with the club.”

Thaba Jabula School is close to the Nike Centre where the Chiefs Youth Academy practices.

Mpati started his career as a player, which has helped him in his coaching career.  “I have been where my players are so I can talk from experience. It’s not something that you can learn from a book,” he said.

A successful coach needs to relate to his players, believe Mpati.  “A coach needs to be able to understand his/her players at all times. Being able to take yourself down to the players’ level is a good thing because it shows that you care for them and their needs,” he said.

Mpati teaches English and Life Sciences at the school, so finding the time to coach is a challenge. “Sometimes I am swamped with academic stuff and I cannot make training, so I have had to ask for assistance from an external local coach, Zakes Khumalo.

“Zakes helped us from the provincial level upwards last year and this year we decided to bring him on board at the beginning of the tournament so that he can start prepping the team the way he wants to.” Said Mpati.

Every year the school holds awards for teachers and students, and for two years in a row Mpati won the best teacher of the year award, and also the Sportsman and Team Manager of the year awards.

“It feels great to know that one’s efforts don’t go unnoticed.  Winning these awards also makes me want to do more for my students and my team.”

The team did not do as well as they wanted to at the national finals last year, but the experience did them a lot of good. “I think that stage fright got the better of them,” Mpati said. “That’s one thing that a coach cannot prevent. A team can train and play 50 games to prepare for a tournament, but that still does not guarantee that they will not get nervous.

“That’s what happened last year. We got nervous and lost all our day 1 games. We bounced back and finally drew 0-0 against Holy Trinity, the other Gauteng team in the finals.  They went on to win the tournament and the R1 million to go with it.”

Registrations for the 2014 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup in the Northern Cape going well

Three time Northern Cape Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup champions, Rietvale High School, from the town of Ritchie, are already hard at work preparing to defend their title.

Team manager, Barry Kammies, says they have registered for the competition and are busy selecting their squad at the moment. “We had many new students that started at the school in January and we are currently to seeing them all play to gauge their strengths. We will select the final squad within the next couple of weeks,” Kammies said. “I can already see that a lot of work will have to be done with the new players.  The biggest problem we have to overcome is ball distribution.  Many of the players do not want to pass the ball and are inclined to play as individuals as opposed to a member of the team,” he said

Rietvale has won R300 000 in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup after being crowned Northern Cape champions in 2011, 12 and 13.  “We have combined our 2012 and 2013 winnings and will purchase a 48-seater bus, which will make a massive difference to the school as transport is one of our biggest problems,” he said. “We will not only use the bus to take our team to soccer games, but also to take classes on educational excursions.”

Kasper Spandiel will be the coach again this year and he says that the lessons learned at last year’s national finals were that if they want to win this tournament, they definitely need an experienced coach and to have an affiliation with an academy. “The academies have a huge advantage over us and I think that winning the nationals is going to be a challenge,” Spandiel said.

“However, playing against academies is also very motivating. While our players might not match their level, I tell them that they must learn from these boys and they will become better players themselves. It’s an eye-opener for management as well as we learn a lot and take the lessons back for the next crop of players. In this way soccer standards keep improving.”

Spandiel sees Okiep High School, who they played against in the provincial finals last year, as probably their strongest opposition. “We want to be the provincial champions for the fourth successive year.”

Apart from the massive prize money on offer in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, visits by scouts is very important for the boys.   “Sanlam is doing a brilliant job in uplifting soccer development in the country.  Our boys also get to play in front of scouts, which is very important for schools that are in rural areas and outlying towns.”

TO REGISTER FOR THE 2014 SANLAM KAY MOTSEPE SCHOOLS CUP CONTACT:  themba.tshabalala@safa.net

About the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup:

·       The tournament is run under the auspices of the South Africa Football Association (SASFA)

         Named after prominent businessman Patrice Motsepe’s late mother, the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup offers the biggest prize money at school level in Africa (R3.4 million in total). 

·       The sponsors are:  Sanlam, the Motsepe Foundation and the Sanlam Ubuntu-Botho Community Development Trust.

·       The primary objective of the tournament is to revive the culture of school football amongst students between the age of 16 and 19 years old.

·       The tournament also gives players the opportunity to showcase their skills to soccer scouts with the talented players being recruited into development structures to be nurtured and shaped into professional players.

FINAL RESULTS OF THE 2012 SANLAM KAY MOTSEPE SCHOOLS CUP

 

GROUP A	GROUP B	GROUP C
School of Excellence (GP)	East high College  Excellence (MP)	Harmony High (FS)
Sol Plaatje Sec (NW)	Rietvale High  (NC)	Steenberg Secondary School (WC)
Ezibukweni High School (KZN)	Benny's Care Sports Academy (LP)	Mnceba Senior Secondary School (EC)
Cloetesville (WC)	Lindelihle Senior Secondary School (EC)	Langberg High School (NC)
Gaopalelwe (NW)	Lindile Secondary School (MP)	Emtshezi High School (KZN)
Rosina Sedibane (GP)	DR Reginald Cingo Comprehensive school (FS)	Mmamoka High School (LP)

 

Day 1 -  3 October 2012

 

MATCH	TEAM	SCORE	TEAM
1	School of Excellence Goal:  Richard Moremi	1 - 2	Cloetesville Goals:  Andile Japi, Regan Rhode
2	Rosina Sedibane Goals:  Gomotsegang Motlasedi, Ross Masithela, Thabo Moloi, Thabang Konaite	4 - 1	Sol Plaatje Sec Goal:  Phemelo Kebotlhale
3	Harmony High Goals:  Themba Dhladhla, Phethisa Tsoela, Thabang Matras	3 - 0	Langberg High School
4	DR Reginald Cingo Comprehensive school Goal:  Lehlohonolo Ramadumane	1 - 0	Rietvale High
5	East high College  Excellence Goals: Muzi Thabotha, Duprise Khoza (P), Khulekani Mashego	3 - 1	Lindile Secondary School Goal:  Luntu Ngxulelo
6	Mmamoka High School	0 - 0	Steenberg Secondary School
7	Ezibukweni High School Goal:  Sipho Gumede	1 - 3	School of Excellence Goals:  Stanley Muishond (3)
8	Gaopalelwe	0 - 7	Rosina Sedibane Goals:  Vusi Mncube (3), Ross Masithela (3), Thabo Mile
9	Mnceba Senior Secondary School Goal:  Odwa Ndyero	1 - 3	Harmony High Goals:  Patrick Lekaota, Phethisa Tsoela 2
10	Cloetesville	0 - 1	Sol Plaatje Sec Goal: Mogorosi Mmethi
11	Benny's Care Sports Academy Goals:  Phophi Theo Phophi, Marubini Lucky Manyane	2 - 2	East high College  Excellence Goals:  Muzi Thabotha, Mathibela Selemela
12	Mtshezi High School	0 - 1	Mmamoka High School Goal:  Thapelo Matsena
13	Lindile High Goal:  Alex Khumalo	1 - 0	Dr R Cingo
14	Lindelihle Senior Secondary School Goal:  Luntu Ngxulelo	1 - 0	Rietvale High
15	Harmony High	0 - 0	Steenberg Secondary School
16	School of Excellence Goals:  Richard Moremi, Mongale Lebone, Tshepo Mabua	3 - 0	Sol Plaatje
17	Cloetesville Goals:  Ashlin Moses (2), Ethan Meyer	3 - 0	Gaopalelwe
18	Langberg High School Goal:  Kennedy McKenzie	1 - 2	Mtshezi High School Goals:  Siphelele Eland, Lucky Khumalo
19	Ezibukweni High School Goal:  Ayanda Mpetshane	1 - 1	Rosina Sedibane Goal:  Thabo Moloi
20	East high College  Excellence Goals:  Mathibele Selema, Njabulo Zondi	2 - 0	Rietvale High
21	Mnceba Senior Secondary School Goal:  Odwa Ndyebo	1 - 2	Mmamoka High School Goals:  Mahlatse Mabitsela (P), Ditlhoriso Mphyana
22	Lindelihle Senior Secondary School Goals:  Luntu Ngxulelo (2 – 1P), Thanpolweithu Dayimani, (OG) Bongani Motau	4 - 1	Lindile Secondary School Goal: Christopher Sibanyoni
23	Benny's Care Sports Academy	0 - 2	DR Reginald Cingo Comprehensive school Ephraim Mahloane (2)
24	Langberg High School Goal:  Evan Visser	1 - 2	Steenberg Secondary School Goals:  Leroy Sopio, Tevin Cozett

 

DAY 2 – 4 October 2012

 

 

GAME	TEAM	RESULT	TEAM
25	Mtshezi High School (KZN)Goal:  Siphelele Eland	1 - 1	Mnceba Senior Secondary School (EC) Goal: Pakamisa Samnuni
26	Ezibukweni High School (KZN)Goals:  Mlungiselwa Mamba, Jabulani Mabuyakhulu	2 – 0	Cloetesville (WC)
27	Rietvale High  (NC)	0 - 1	Lindile Secondary School (MP) Goal:  Alex Khumalo
28	Sol Plaatje Goal:  Thuto Motabogi	1 – 1	Gaopalelwe Goal:  Thabang Moseki
29	Mmamoka High School (LP)	0 – 1	Harmony High (FS) Goal:  Themba Dhladhla
30	DR Reginald Cingo Comprehensive school (FS)	0 – 3	East high College  Excellence (MP) Goals:  Muzi Thabota, Njabulo Zondi (2)
31	Mnceba Senior Secondary School (EC)	0 – 0	Langberg High School (NC)
32	Steenberg Secondary School (WC)	0 – 0	Mtshezi High School (KZN)
33	Benny's Care Sports Academy (LP) Goal:  Namalili Andani Nemalili	1 – 1	Lindelihle Senior Secondary School (EC) Goal:  Sihle Maso
34	School of Excellence (GP) Goals: Stanley Muishond (2), Richard Moremi	3 – 0	Gaopalelwe (NW)
35	Sol Plaatje Sec (NW)	0 – 1	Ezibukweni High School (KZN) Goal:  Siphosethu Gumede
36	East high College  Excellence (MP) Goals:  Chulekani Mashego, Muzi Thabotha	2 – 1	Lindile Senior Secondary School (EC) Goal:  Alex Khumalo
37	Rosina Sedibane (GP) Goals:  Vusimuzi Mncube, Vusiwe Ntshangase	2 – 1	Cloetesville (WC) Own goal by Rosina
38	Harmony High (FS) Goals:  Tshepo Mogorosi, Bantu Mpalala (2)	3 – 1	Mtshezi High School (KZN) Goal:  Sibusiso Sibisi
39	Rietvale High  (NC) Angelo Van Rooi	1 – 1	Benny's Care Sports Academy (LP) Goals: Phophi Theo
40	Steenberg Secondary School (WC) Goals:  Damain Basadien, Leroy Sopio	2 – 0	Mnceba Senior Secondary School (EC)
41	Mmamoka High School (LP) Goals:  Ditlhoriso Mphyane (2)	2 – 1	Langberg High School (NC) Goal:  Evan Visser
42	DR Reginald Cingo Comprehensive school (FS) Goals: Lebohang Mokhunoane, Mpho Makadlela	2 – 2	Lindelihle Senior Secondary School (EC) Goals: Luntu Ngxulelo, Siphenkosi Gobodela
43	Gaopalelwe (NW)	0 – 3	Ezibukweni High School (KZN) Goals:  Mthokozisi Nyano , Jabulani Mabuyakhulu, Ayanda Mbontshane
44	Rosina Sedibane (GP)	0 – 2	School of Excellence (GP) Goals:  Aubrey Modisa, Stanley Muishond
45	Lindile  Senior Secondary School (EC) Goals: Alex Khumalo, Thabani Sangweni	2 – 1	Benny's Care Sports Academy (LP) Khumbudeo Mamaila

 

LEAGUE:  FINAL PLACINGS

 

GROUP A	GROUP B	GROUP C
School of Excellence (GP)	East High College (MP)	Harmony High (FS)
Rosina Sedibane (GP)	Lingelihle High (EC)	Mammoka High (LP)
Ezibukweni Secondary (KZN)	Lindile High (MP)	Steenberg Sec (WC)
Cloetesville Secondary (WC)	Dr R.Cingo Comprehensive (FS)	Emtshezi Sec KZN)
Sol Plaatje Secondary (NW)	Benny’s Sports (LP)	Langberg Sec (NC)
Gaopalelwe Sec (NW)	Rietvale High (NC)	Mnceba Sec (EC)

 

DAY 3 – 5 OCTOBER 2012

 

GAME	TEAM	RESULT	TEAM
46	(QF 1) East High College	0 – 0 (East High won 6 - 5 on penalties)	Steenberg Sec
47	(QF 2) Rosina Sedibane Goal: ReabetsweTefo	1 - 0	Mmamoka High
48	(QF 3) Harmony High Goal: Bogosi Monjoe	1 - 0	Ezibukweni Sec
49	(QF 4) School of Excellence Goals: Tshepo Mabua (2)	2 – 1	Lingelihle High Goal: Thozamo Mafilika
50	(Pos 9 – 12) Lindile Sec	0 – 0 (Lindile Sec won 3 – 2 on penalties)	Cloetesville Sec
51	(Pos 9 – 12)Dr R. Cingo Sec	1 - 0	Emtshezi Sec
52	(Pos 13 – 16)Benny’s Sports	0 - 3	Rietvale High Goals: Evander Spandiel (2), Angelo Van Rool
53	(Pos 13 – 16) Sol Plaatje	1 – 1 (Mnceba Sec won 4 – 2 on penalties)	Mnceba Sec
54	(Pos 17 -18)  Gaopalelwe Sec Goals: Eric Phakedi, Rasenatle Olifant, Diteko Makhurubele	3 - 0	Langerberg Sec
55	(Pos 5 - 8) Steenberg Sec	0 – 0 (Steenberg Sec won 6– 5 on penalties)	Mmamoka Sec
56	(Pos 5 – 8) Ezibukweni Sec Goal: Ndumiso Mbhamali	1 - 0	Lingelihle Sec
57	(Pos 15/16) Benny’s Sports Goals: Lebea Bennie (3)	3 - 0	Sol Plaatje
58	(Pos 9/10) Lindile Sec	0 – 0 (Lindile Sec won 3 – 1 on penalties)	Dr R. Cingo
59	(Pos 11/12)  Cloetesville Sec	0 – 0 (Emtshezi Sec won 3 – 1 on penalties)	Emtshezi
60	(Pos 13/14) Rietvale Sec	1 – 1 (Rietvale Sec won 4 – 1 on penalties)	Mnceba Sec
61	(Pos 5/6) Steenberg Sec Goals: Imeruun Liny, Carlton Sbyjes	2 - 1	Ezibukweni
62	(Pos 7/8) Lingelihle Sec	0 – 0 (Lingelihle Sec won 4 – 3 on penalties)	Mmamoka Sec
63	(SF 1) East High College Goal: Thabang Klaas, Muzi Thabotha	2 - 1	Rosina Sedibane Sec Goal: Vusimuzi Mncube
64	(SF2)  Harmony High	0 – 0 (School of Excellence Sec won 6 – 5 on penalties)	School of Excellence

 

DAY 4 – 6 OCTOBER 2012

 

THIRD/FOURTH PLAY-OFF

Rosina 1 v Harmony 0

GOAL:  Thabang Konaite

 

FINAL

School of Excellence (2) 6  v East High (2) 5

Goals:  SOE:  Richard Moremi, Tshepo Mabua

Goals:  East High:  Muzi Thabotha, Khulekani Mashego

 

FINAL POSITIONS

POSITION	SCHOOL
1	School of Excellence (GP)  R1 million + R100 000 as Provincial Champions
2	East High (MP) R600 000 + R100 000 as Provincial Champions
3	Rosina (GP) (R500 00)
4	Harmony High (FS)  (R400 000) + R100 000 as Provincial Champions
5	Steenberg Secondary School (WC)   R100 000 as Provincial Champions
6	Ezibukweni High School (KZN)  R100 000 as Provincial Champions
7	Lingilihle Secondary School (EC)   R100 000 as Provincial Champions
8	Mmamoka Secondary School  (LP)
9	Lindile Seconadry School (PM)
10	Dr Reginald Cingo Comprehensive School (FS)
11	Emtshezi Secondary School (KZN)
12	Cloestesville Secondary School (WC)
13	Rietvale High School (NC)     R100 000 as Provincial Champions
14	Mnceba Secondary School (EC)
15	Benny Care Sports Academy (LP)    R100 000 as Provincial Champions
16	Sol Plaatje Secondary School (NW)  R100 000 as Provincial Champions
17	Gaopalelwe Secondary School (WC)
18	Langberg Secondary School (NC)

 

BEST GOAL KEEPER                          -              MBULELO NGCOBE (SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE)

TOP GOAL SCORER                          -              STANLEY MUISHOND 6 GOALS (SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE)

PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT  -              PASEKA SEKEBE  (SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE)

COACH OF THE TOURNAMENT  -              EAST HIGH SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE

FAIR PLAY                                           -              GAOPALELWE   (NW)