Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Western Cape Provincial Finals Kick-Off

The months of gruelling qualifiers will culminate on Saturday, 5^th September at the Nyanga Stadium with the six Western Cape regional winners battling it out to be crowned the under-19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup provincial champions.  The winner takes home R100 000 and both teams that play in the final match will compete in the national finals taking place in Gauteng from 7^th to the 10^th October.

The teams that have qualified include:  Thembalethu Secondary School (Eden District), Qhayiya Secondary School (Overberg District), Ilingelethu Secondary School (West Coast District), Beaufort West Secondary School (Central Karoo), Excelsior High School (Cape Town) and the Winelands district is still to play their finals.

Excelsior and Qhayiya are not new to the provincial finals having made it this far a couple of times, but for Ilingelethu Secondary School not only is this their first time competing in the provincials but they are competing in the tournament for the first time as well. 

Coach Mfundo Nyunguza came to the school this year and he has made it his mission to build the soccer teams and enter as many tournaments as possible.

“The school did have an under 19 team when I can but it was not competitive.  I have started afresh and select new players,” he said. “The boys responded well and we now have an under-17 and an under-19 team,” he said.

It’s been a great experience for the boys, although so far things have been relatively easy admits Nyunguza. “We didn’t play as many games as I thought we would (6 in total), and I think the real challenge start now in the provincials. We are inexperienced at this level and there is a lot at stake as all the schools will be fighting for the provincial title.”

They don’t really know what to expect, Nyunguza said. “So we will be taking each phase as a learning curve and we hope to soak in as much information as we can for next year.”

Winning the regionals was a huge achievement for Nyunguza personally. “I never thought that I would lead the team to victory especially as this is my first year with the team,” he said. “This has proved to us that if you set your mind on something and put in 100 percent effort you can achieve anything.”

The entire school was surprised to learn that the team had qualified for the provincials for the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup. “They are behind us all the way and we truly appreciate their support, but they are not putting any pressure on the team to win the provincials,” Nyunguza said.

Preparations for the provincial are now underway, with the team training 3 to 4 times a week.

“Luckily we have our own field, even though it’s not in good condition, but at least we don’t have to worry about finding a ground to use,” Nyunguza said. “Another plus is that the boys play for local clubs, so if we don’t train after school, we know they will be training there.

“It’s good for them to be coached by different coaches who have different techniques and methods. What they learn from me they can also learn from their local coaches, which is a win-win situation.”

First timers win the Northern Cape Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Provincial

The under-19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Northern Cape Provincial Finals took place last weekend and it was Groblershoop High School who emerged victorious after beating Weslaan High School 2 – 1 in the final match. Both teams will be representing their province at the Nationals in Soweto from 7^th – 10^th October.

This is the first time that Groblershoop will be going to the nationals in the 10 years that they have been playing in the competition and the team’s manager, Leon Cloete, puts it down to the school’s changing into a soccer school from a rugby-playing one.

“Rugby was the main sport played,” he said, “but more and more boys are choosing soccer now so we have changed the focus. We still play rugby, which is not a bad thing because our players are very fit, and our backs are all big strong boys who also play rugby,”

The team has worked very hard for this achievement, Cloete said. “We have challenges when it comes to scheduling training as some players live very far from the school and transport is a problem. Sometimes I have to drop the players off at home after training. But we are all dedicated to the cause and did everything we could to ensure that this year we would qualify for the nationals.”

The win was made even more special when a representative from the Department of Basic Education as well as the sports coordinator from their district came to the school to congratulate the boys and wish them well for the national finals.

As provincial winners, Groblershoop has been granted R100 000 by the sponsors, the Motsepe Foundation and Sanlam, to spend on legacy projects at the school and, although the School Governing Body will have to sit down to discuss how it is going to be used, Cloete would like to buy portable soccer goals for the rugby field that they train on.

Hard work and being focused is what Cloete believes let the team to success. “The team was focused from the beginning.  We were in the same group as Okiep, who are experienced in this competition.  We played them twice, drawing the first game and managing to beat them 2-0 in the second game, which gave the team confidence.”

Then it was Weslaan in the final and, thanks to goals from strikers Ruwey Bosmon and Brandon Scheepers, they managed to win 2-1. “It was a team effort though, every player worked very hard,” Cloete said. “Both teams deserved to be in the final. I am happy that we will be taking two strong teams to the nationals and hopefully one of us at least makes it into the semi finals.”

Now it’s down to hard training. “The nationals will be a new experience for us so my focus will be on keeping the boys fit as we will be playing up to three games a day, building confidence and fine tuning skills.”

Results

Remmogo 1 vs Weslaan 1

Groblershoop 1 vs Okiep 1

Weslaan 3 vs Tetlanyo 1

Okiep 0 vs Groblershoop 2

Tetlanyo 2 vs Remmogo 2

Final - Groblershoop 2 vs Weslaan 1

Sundowns Academy win through to the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Gauteng Provincial Finals

Clapham High School, comprising the Sundowns Academy players, beat their fierce Pretoria local rivals, Rosina Sedibane Sports School, in an inter regional final match to reach the provincial finals of the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup happening at the Nike Centre, Soweto on Monday, 10 August.

It was a tough encounter explains the team manager, Johannes Petje. “Rosina and Clapham have been rivals from way back.  We have played against each many times and every game is a challenge because we know each other’s weakness and strengths so we continuously have to change our game plan and approach.”

It’s great being back in the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation, Petje said. “We are slowly but surely reclaiming our position in the tournament. Schools football is an ever-changing sport, one year you are champs and the next year you’re not. All schools lose players every year who move on, and sometime you lose your best players.

Last year Clapham were knocked out at the provincial level.  “A lot of factors attributed to that loss, one being that we didn’t have the majority of our players due to national call-ups. This year we have a plan B should call-ups be made,” said Petje.  “We have a few good players in our under-17 squad who we are training and preparing should we need them to fill in for the 1^st team.”

Petje believes their absence last year might give them an edge because the other teams may underestimate them. “I advise them not to do this. We have learnt from our previous mistake and the boys are hungry to prove themselves,” he said.

The team obviously wants to do better than last year. “At the beginning of the year our main focus was to qualify for the inter districts.  Now that this has been achieved we are shifting our focus and energy onto the provincials. It’s a level we are not taking lightly, considering the fact that we were knocked out at this level last year.”

The team is working hard, and not taking anyone lightly. “All the schools are considered competition regardless of whether they are academy-affiliated or not. There is a lot at stake in this tournament and everyone wants a piece of the pie.

“Beating Rosina is a big hurdle overcome,” said Petje.  “Our biggest advantage is the fact that our team is more exposed to high levels of soccer as they get to compete in more competitive tournaments than some of the other schools.

“We have a group of focused boys and with the coaching of Mike Manzini we are sure that we will be at the nationals this year. Our task right now is getting these boys used to playing on an artificial pitch. We have arranged a few games for them to get used to that type of field. We feel we are 95% ready for the provincials.”

Mpumalanga Secondary School hopes to compete at provincial level in the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup

With two games to go in the cluster level playoffs in the Emalahleni 2 Cluster in Mpumalanga, Mehlwane Secondary School are on track to end on top of their section and go through to the next level of the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup competition.

Mdu Skosana, the team’s coach and manager, explains that they have not had much success in tournament before, always eliminated in the early phases, but this year they have won three and drawn one of their games so far, which puts them at the top of the table, with two games to go.

“It’s been a psychological thing with the players, they have let themselves believe that if the previous team didn’t make it further they also can’t,” he said. “But, at the moment we are leading the log standings by 10 points and we are left with only 2 games to finish our cluster games and proceed through to the sub regional games. Things are looking good for us, but we don’t want to count our chickens before they hatch. We just have to remain strong and continue our game plan for the upcoming matches.”

Skosana said the players at the school are passionate about soccer and they understand that playing soccer is not always about winning, but they would still like to experience playing in the provincial and national finals of the tournament and be exposed to schools from other districts.

The cluster games have been smooth sailing for them, he explained and they even drew with Zacheus Malaza SS, who participated in the provincial finals last year. “We viewed them as our biggest competition, but we realised that they are no more competitive or stronger than our side,” he said.

Skosana said the main challenge they face is not having a proper soccer field to train on. “The school does have a pitch, but it’s not in a good condition, which makes it hard for us to train as much as we would like to.  We currently train at our local stadium when it’s available,” he said.

The team has a number of very talented players who Skosana regards as key players. “But I have to single out the captain, Aubrey Mahlangu. He is a versatile player who can play any position, but lately he has been the striker for the team and is currently our leading goal-scorer. He is one of those players that need to be exposed to academies.  It is a pity that we are in the outskirts Emalahleni.”

The teams participating in the cluster playoffs are:

Zacheus Malaza Secondary School, Empucukweni Secondary School,  Leonard Nthuntshe Secondary School, D.M Matsaosele Secondary School,  Mehlwane Secondary School, Mabdande Secondary School and Phillip Ndimande Secondary School 

Grey College moves a step closer to participating in the Free State Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Provincial Final

The Bloemfontein Cluster Games in the Free State Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by the Motsepe Foundation and Sanlam, are under way and in action there is one of South Africa’s leading sports schools, Grey College.

Ludwig Koekemoer, the school’s sports co-ordinator is also the team’s manager, and he explains that the school has been participating in the competition for four years now, and each time they have been eliminated at the regional finals stage.

“I think one of our biggest challenges is that our team mainly consists of under-17 players, and most of the other schools field 18 and 19-year olds,” he said. “Physically our boys don’t match up to the others and that’s where we encounter problems. Further, our players are not as experienced.  However exposure to older players does make them mentally and psychologically stronger and they are learning to compete outside of their comfort zone.  That’s when we get to evaluate their growth as a team and individually.”

Grey won the prestigious St David’s Challenge Cup and the Waterstone soccer tournaments in Johannesburg last year, showing that they are competitive against some of the country’s top schools. “We just need to gain more experience in terms of playing outside our comfort zone,” Koekemoer said.

This year, he believes has to be different compared to previous years. “I think we need to focus on the players’ mental game. We need to build their confidence, which is the most important aspect when it comes to the mental side of soccer. Even though physically our players are not as strongly built as other players they need to know and understand that soccer is a mental a game at the end of the day. We are known as the school to beat when it comes to rugby, now we want to be known as the school to beat when it comes to soccer as well.”

In their first cluster game this year, Grey beat Sehunelo Secondary School 4-1. “The team is looking very strong at the moment.  We are going hard in our attacking, defending and shooting on target. I didn’t expect the team to win by 4 goals, it’s a lot especially for the first game of our cluster,” Koekemoer said.

“But this indicates that the team is ready and they have a positive spirit going into the tournament. Winning the first game has definitely set the tone for our next games. I am confident that the team will go further in the tournament this year.”

Grey College has its own soccer complex, with possibly the best school fields in the country so, Koekemoer said, it’s a challenge when they have to play away games, sometimes on gravel fields.

“That definitely causes problems for the players, because they are not used to playing on such fields. This year we have arranged for all our cluster games to be played at our school, because we know that getting a venue is difficult for schools that don’t have their own soccer fields.”

The teams participating in the Bloemfontein cluster are:

Grey College

Bloemfontein High School

Sehunelo Secondary School

Kopanong High School

Heatherdale Secondary School

Headstart High School.

Sandton School registers for the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup again!

2015 will be Sandtonview School’s second year of participating in the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation.  Coach, Thabani Nyathi, had no hesitation when it came to entering the team again this year because he believes the interaction and exposure that comes with playing competitive soccer is an important educational experience for the boys.

The school is playing in the Johannesburg East cluster of the Gauteng provincial competition and their matches begin on 14^th April. They will be competing against schools such as Wendywood High School, Holy Family College, Northview High School, Athlone Boys High, Queens High, Jules High and Barnato Park High.

“In the past we participated in our local schools league only, but last year we decided that the school should play in the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup,” Nyathi said. “In this way the players get exposed to tougher competition and to other schools with exceptionally skilled players. We see it as a learning curve.”

Last year the school was knocked out early in the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup but the coach says he learnt a lot. “Academics is a priority of the school so I can only select players from Grade 11 as the Grade 12’s need to focus on Matric.  This has resulted in me having to select a completely new team this year.  I have some really skilled players and I believe we can go all the way to the nationals.  I have been concentrating on physical conditioning and we are now moving on to individual skills and techniques.  The final stage is tactical awareness and then we will be ready for the tournament.”

Nyathi is well qualified for his role. After years of playing soccer at amateur level he decided to go into coaching. He has an advanced level 4 coaching qualification, a diploma in sports management, a cricket umpiring certificate and an athletics coaching certificate.

“I am very passionate about sport in general hence I want to be qualified in different sports,” he said. “I believe that knowledge is power and as a coach you need to be able to back your experience with a qualification.”

He likens coaching to academic teaching. “Coaching is the same as teaching because at the end of the day you need to transfer your knowledge to the players and the only way of measuring your success is by the results that they show on the field. I think that being a teacher is an advantage, because you use the same mechanisms you use in class on the field.”

Nyathi draws inspiration from the fact that he can make a difference in the player’s lives. “I am also inspired by coaches from all over the world. Locally I look up to the likes of Gavin Hunt and Gordon Igesund and internationally it’s Alex Ferguson and, especially, Jose Mourinho. He started off as a teacher as well and I see myself following in his footsteps”

Team work is what Nyathi put emphasis on.  “We win and lose as a team.  After games I never focus on a single player and I boost their confidence levels all the time.  During a training session I do give credit to players that give 100%. Before every game I have words of encouragement, during half time I tell them what they did great and what they need to focus on. I applaud them when they play well.”

Nyathi is an ambitions coach. “The next step is to become a fully fledged professional coach, I want to coach PSL teams and I also want to unearth talented players and make them the Teko Modises of the country. I want to give these players the chance of playing professionally.”

Registration closes and Gauteng school is ready for action

Registration has closed for the 2015 edition of the Under-19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by Sanlam, the Motsepe Foundation and the Ubuntu-Botho Trust, and schools that have registered will now start competing in their various clusters.

The Kay Motsepe Schools Cup has become the foremost youth talent identification tournament in soccer in the country and the role that schools attached to the development academies of professional clubs cannot be underestimated.

A case in point is Clapham High School of the Tshwane North District in Gauteng, which was one of the first schools to register this year and houses the school-going players who are in the Mamelodi Sundowns Youth Academy.

The 2015 under-19 team will comprise of seven of last year’s players that are still at the school and it will be bolstered by 5 new recruits and team manager, Ngwato Petje, explains that not all their players are associated with Mamelodi Sundowns.

Keamogetswe Ledwaba comes to the school from Benny’s Sport Academy in Limpopo. He plays for Edu Sport FC in the SAB League and, according to Petj he is star quality and is definitely someone to look out for during the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup this year.

Clapham are former winners of the competition, but they were knocked out at the provincial finals last year and are keen to make amends for that. They were one of the first schools to register for the 2015 tournament and are eagerly waiting for the cluster level games to begin.

The team will once again be coached by Mike Manzini. “Last year was the first time Mike coached the team and he did a good job with the team even though we ended up being knocked out of the tournament,” Petje said.

“He has obviously learnt a few things from last year and I believe that he has prepared the team better this time around to ensure positive results.”

Petje is looking forward to seeing how the new players fit in. “They are new to the schools and will be new to this tournament but luckily we still have 7 previous players that can share their experience with them, overall the team is doing well and they get good quality training.

Preparations are going well said Petje.  “We have played 5 friendly games already and we obviously want the team to be familiar with each other and for them to see if there are any adjustments that they need to improve upon. The Mamelodi Sundowns Academy team will be playing in the final against University of Pretoria in the Multichoice Diski Challenge and that’s the basis of the team that will be participating in Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, along with the non-Academy players.”

Petje admits that it wasn’t easy to accept defeat last year as the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup is the biggest schools soccer tournament and every school wants to be successful in it. “The loss showed us that we need to work twice as hard as other teams in order for us to win again. The tournament is getting tougher and tougher and becoming more and more competitive each year.”

Gauteng is by far the most competitive province, Petje said, and they are not under-estimating any team they will meet.

“Of course our main rivals are the defending champions, Holy Trinity. We have to take back the title from them and should we meet up with them it won’t be an easy match. Neither team will go down without a fight,” he said

As 2013 champions, Clapham won R1 million in funding for the school and they are in the process using the funds to build two new classrooms and a life skills centre.  They are awaiting the Department of Education approval of the site they have identified.

Registration for the 2015 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup has closed and the 2015 Free State Champions are preparing for their first games.

Registration for the 2015 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup has closed and 2014 Free State champions, and the most successful school in the tournament over the past five years, Harmony High School of Virginia, are hard at work preparing for their opening cluster level matches, and determined to represent the province at the national finals once again this year.

Harmony coach, Pitso Mokoena, has been with the school since 2008 and has guided them to two national titles – in 2008 and 2011. He sees that 2008 victory as his greatest achievement. He didn’t have a lot of time to prepare that year and injuries meant that they played in the national finals with just 12 players in the squad.

“Winning the 2011 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup was easier” he said. “I think that the 2011 team was the best team I have coached. They were talented and they made my job very easy.”

This year Harmony will play with a completely new team.  The entire under-17 team that won a key knockout tournament in 2014 and also participated in the SAB Regional League has been promoted and they will join seven of last year’s under-19 players.

“All are currently training together, but we will select the best players for the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup and it does not necessarily have to include last year’s players,” he said.

“We also compete in open tournaments and leagues to give the players experience with teams other than schools as they grow and learn this way.”

In the cluster phase of the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, the team will be playing against local schools, but Mokoena said they will not underestimate them. “Every year teams grow, they have new talented players and there’s no guarantee that Harmony will win every year.

“But we try to be optimistic,” he said.  “We have always represented Free State in this tournament and we know that other schools in Free Sate are gunning for the title and are working hard to make sure that they get that title, we don’t take competition lightly. Local rivals HTS Louis Botha are a very strong team and they are the team that could well give us a challenge. In 2013 they took the provincial title away from us for the first time and they will be a threat again this year.”

Mokoena’s coaching philosophy is based on hard work and a good relationship with his players. “Soccer is an ever-evolving sport and as a coach you need to develop your skills by attending coaching clinics, getting more qualifications and equipping yourself with what’s current,” he says.

“You also have to be a father figure to the players. You need to build and maintain relationships with all your players. You need to be open to being a father/mentor to them, so that they can be open to you in return.”

For Mokoena the biggest challenge is having to deal with the players’ attitudes. “You sometimes have players that think that they are the best thing that has happened to the team; they tend to be egotistical. As a coach you need to be able to bring down those egos. I try to make it a team problem which needs to be resolved as a team.”

As for his own future, Mokoena believes the nexst step is coaching PSL teams. “I look up to the likes of Rulani Mokoena (former coach of Mamelodi Sundowns Academy), he started with the junior team and he is now the assistant coach for Mamelodi Sundowns first team. That’s my next step, I want to start with a developing team in the PSL and take it to greater heights. I give myself plus minus 3 years to reach that level.”

Before then, there are those cluster games, beginning on 18 April with their first opponent being Marematlou Secondary School.

“I believe that giving praise to a player or a team inspires them to be better next time; I always congratulate a player if they played a good game. In that way I build their self-esteem and empower them to do better next time, that’s how I inspire my players for the challenges that lie ahead,” Mokoena concluded.

Mpumalanga’s Eric Nxumalo benefits from Kay Motsepe Schools Soccer Cup prize money

The Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by the Motsepe Foundation, Sanlam and the Ubuntu-Botho Trust, is the biggest soccer tournament in the country, reaching far beyond the field of play by making a massive contribution to education via the legacy projects that are funded by the prize money awarded to the provincial champions each year.

One of those, Eric Nxumalo High School from Thulamahashe was the Mpumalanga provincial champion in 2013, and was granted R100 000 to spend on educational and sporting projects in their community.

The official unveiling of the projects, which included the upgrade of the soccer pitch, replace broken windows and doors and tracksuits,  took place at the school recently and in attendance were representatives from Sanlam, The Motsepe Foundation, the SA Schools Football Association (SASFA) and the Department’s of Sport and Education.

At the unveiling the coach, Canon Simango, said the school has already registered for the 2015 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup tournament, and they are ready to start playing their cluster games.

The school still has 3 players from the successful 2013 team in their ranks: Enock Lebesi, captain Sydney Moyane and Leonard Nkuna, who have the experience and skills to help motivate the other players and set an example which will hopefully take the team to the national finals again.

Moyane in particular will prove dangerous on the field this year.  “He was part of the team that went on a training programme to Brazil in 2009 and he has improved dramatically and I believe he has the skills to help any PSL team,” said Simango.

Simango says the team has been training hard, at their local clubs, as well as with the school’s under-19 team.  “I would love nothing more than to win more money so that we can make even more improvements to the school for learners that will be attending it in the years to come,” he said.

Photo Caption:

Back row: (from left to right) Mr Sithole L.R. Deputy Principal , Mr Dennis Madondo, Mr Simango C.C Coach, Ms Wendy Ndlovu, Mr Mashele P. Principal,  Mr Mahlalela S. E. ,
Front row: (from left to right )  Leonard Nkuna,  Hlawulekile Moyane,  Enock Ubisse.

Gauteng school gets ready to compete in the 2015 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup

The cluster level matches in the 2015 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup under-19 soccer tournament will be starting soon, and one school that is looking forward to participating again is Waterstone College.

The school is located in Kibler Park in the Johannesburg South district of Gauteng, and this will be the third time they are playing in the competition.

Team manager, Kerry Bailey, explains that, although they always make it through to the provincial finals, they never go further than that. “Last year our toughest game was against Clapham, which was daunting and challenging. We held our own but finally lost 2-0,” she said. “We were in a very tough group alongside Clapham (the 2013 winners) and Holy Trinity, who went on to take the national title last year.”

In 2013 Waterstone entered the competition for the first time with an under-17 team and they treated it as a foundation year.  This stood them in good stead and last year they improved and Bailey believes they will do even better this year.

“We love competing in the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup,” she said. “It’s a well-organised tournament and the players always look forward to it. In fact, they reminded us to enter this year.

“The quality of football is excellent, it is competitive, challenging and there is a lot of talent, which is what we enjoy as it gives the players insight into how they can improve.

“We saw our exit in the provincial finals last year as a chance to go back to the drawing board to see where we went wrong and to make the necessary changes. We definitely have our eye on the national finals this year.”

There were only two grade 12 players in last year’s team that have moved on. Other than that, the team has stayed the same.  And they have a new coach this year in Ryan McConviolle who is from Northern Ireland and has a UEFA A coaching license.

“He will start working with the team at the end of February, and we hope that he will take them to the next level,” Bailey said.

Waterstone competes in a number of tournaments other than the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, and it runs its own 16-school sports festival each year, which includes soccer.

Last year they were runners up in their festival and they also came second at the St David’s Marist soccer tournament, which involves 16 of the top schools in South Africa.

They also play in the Grey College soccer tournament, and came 13^th there last year.

Schools have until 17 March to register and can access the registration form on the following websites:

www.saschoolsfa.co.za

www.education.gov.za

www.motsepefoundation.org

www.thutong.doe.gov.za/schoolenrichment

Or contact your nearest DBE district officer

Mamelodi Sundowns coaches work with top Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup players

It’s been an amazing start to the week for the young soccer players attending the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup elite training camp at Mamelodi Sundowns this week where, among other things, they have been put through their paces by Enrique Diaz, a coach from the Johan Cruyff Institute based in Spain.

Mamelodi Sundowns have an arrangement with the institute, who provide coaches to assist with technical matters at the club and Diaz is one of them. He was been at Sundowns for three years now. Diaz, who has a Level 3 coaching qualification in Spain - the highest level you can get – was a former FC Barcelona development coach.

The boys arrived in camp last Friday and had their first training sessions on Saturday and Sunday. Diaz said he was immediately impressed by their organisation on the field.

“It was better than I expected,” he said. “The players know the rules of the game and the basics and they all have the skills. They were very shy at first and it took a couple of days for the players to settle in, but by Monday they were more confident.”

The players were selected by a group of scouts that attended the provincial finals and the players were reassessed at the national finals with the final selection made based on consistency.  The aim of the camp is to help the players with talent take their football to a different level and give them a taste of what professional football is all about. 

Based on the first couple of training sessions what the coaches have noticed is that many of the players have picked up bad habits and the challenge is to see how quickly they can eliminate those. 

“We have an excellent development academy with brilliant players here at Sundowns,” Diaz said. “And the standards are very high.   Any new players that come into our system will be evaluated on how quickly they adapt to the Sundowns style of play.”

Diaz believes that South Africa has extraordinarily skilled players, but the problem is that players do not put enough effort into their game. “Once they have been selected to play in a professional team the players seem to lose the hunger,” he said. “Off the pitch the players need to be more focused. They need to understand the importance of school work, discipline and sacrifice. To be a professional a player attention needs to be paid to all aspects of their lives.”

On Wednesday the squad will play a game against the Sundowns First team players that will not be involved in the league game that night, and on Friday they will come up against a team from the African All Stars Academy.

Mamelodi Sundowns host training camp for top U19 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup players from 2014

The Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup national finals were held in Soshanguve last month and the players in action were closely observed by scouts from Mamelodi Sundowns who, in the end chose the 24 most talented individuals on view and invited them to attend a training camp at the club’s Chloorkop headquarters between the 28th November and the 5th December.

It’s going to be an exciting time for the youngsters, and an opportunity for them to show that they are ready to step up into the professional ranks.

Siyabonga Masinga, a 19 year-old central mid-fielder who is in grade 11 at Tholokuhle High School in Richards Bay, is one of those selected and sees this as a great opportunity, one that not everyone has been given and he said he is grateful that he was selected.

“I have never attended trials or a camp before so this is a first for me.  I knew that scouts would be at the nationals and selecting a squad to attend trials so, prior to leaving KZN, I decided that my primary goal was to be selected for this camp and I put in 110 percent effort in every game I played and it has paid off,” said Siyabonga

 “I was really excited when the Sundowns scout, Mr Mdletshe, called my team manager and asked if I would be interested in coming through and I agreed on the spot.  It’s every players dream to be invited to attend a camp that is hosted by a professional team especially when it’s Mamelodi Sundowns. The team is known to produce great players, I want to be associated with that team.”

Only 4 players from Tholokuhle were selected for the training camp and they are all looking forward to learning new tactics and techniques at the camp. “As a player you need to always develop your skills and I think that’s what they will be teaching us during the camp,” said Siyabonga. “At the end of it all I will be selected to be part of their Youth Academy, it would be an honour to be a part of Sundowns. I know that their players get the best of everything in terms of training and nutrition, which are key in a player’s development.”

For Siyabonga, Themba Zwane is his favourite Sundowns player. “He is an incredible player, I would one day love to play just like him,” he said. “If we do get an opportunity to interact with the first team I would definitely want to speak to him and pick his brain a little.”

After being knocked out in the cluster stages of the tournament for years, making it to the final game at the nationals was a major achievement for the team.  “We beat schools that have been participating in this tournament for years,” Siyabonga said. “It’s unfortunate that we lost the final game to Holy Trinity High School.  I guess that some of the players got nervous when they learnt that we will be playing against players that compete for the Supersport United Academy.

“But we are thankful that we reached the finals, it was never something that we were expecting since we started in the tournament. Even though we didn’t win, we now have the experience to better prepare for next year.”

“We came as underdogs in this tournament and ended up being 2nd in the rankings. We tried our best and next year will be an even greater year for the school.”

NAME PROVINCE SCHOOL
Lucky Monyane Limpopo Benny's Sports Development
Ernest Monyadziwa Limpopo Benny's Sports Development
Trevor Kutu Free State Harmony High School
Mpho Phalakasane Free State Harmony High School
Victor Noosi (attended the 2013 camp) Free State Harmony High School
Sibusiso Sibandana Mpumalanga St Marks  International School
Xolanni Ndlovu Mpumalanga St Marks International School
Mzwakhe Mncwango KZN Tholokuhle High School
Siyabonga Masinga KZN Tholokuhle School
Nkanyiso Zungu KZN Umqhele High School
Gilbert Motlokolo Free State Harmony High School
Dillan Fransch Western Cape Mondale High School
Clint Herwell Western Cape Mondale High School
Thabang Chiloane Limpopo Benny's Sports Development
Vusi Mnguni Free State Harmony High School
Tebogo Mokoena Free State Harmony High School
Hemaxzwi Mtshidzi Limpopo Benny's Sports Development
Thabani Mnguni KZN Umqhele High School
Lwazi Mtshali KZN Tholokuhle High School
Denovan April Northern Cape Kakamas
Denovan V Ryn Northern Cape Kakamas
Damyn Smith Northern Cape Kakamas
Jay Cee Meyers Northern Cape Hope Town
Thathani Nkosi KZN Tholokuhle High School

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.

Mondale, from the Western Cape, win R500 000 in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup

Mondale High School from Mitchell’s Plain, Cape Town finished their 2014 u-19 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup campaign on a high after beating Kwa-Shuku, from Mpumalanga, 7 – 2 in the 3^rd place playoff game. They walk away with the R500 000 in funding that goes to the third-placed school.  Combined with their R100 000 as the Western Cape provincial winners the total goes up to R500 000.  Kwa-Shuku, from Mpumalanga, a first timer in the national finals, take home R400 000.

According to their coach, Nigel Crowie, the school is going home proud.  “We finished in 5^th position last year and our aim was to finish fourth this time around, so this third place finish is a bonus,” he said.

Mondale is gaining a reputation as a football nursery. Three of the players from the 2013 Mondale team have gone on to PSL clubs.  Brandon Dean is currently with SuperSport United, Darren Smith is in the starting line up for AmaZulu and Dillon Fransch, who is currently in Grade 12 at the school, is with Ajax Cape Town.

According to Crowie, it’s not correct to say that Mondale hosts the Ajax Cape Town youth academy. There is only one player at the school that is with their academy, Dillan Fransch, but there are about 4 others that are attached to a local Cape Town based Academy. Fransch was scouted by both Sundowns and Ajax CT at last year’s Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup but opted to remain in Cape Town.

The coach said that after their good performance at this tournament, they are hoping that more players will have been noticed by the PSL clubs.

“Our school is not a sports academy,” Crowie said. “The principal promotes excellence and doesn’t stand for mediocrity so all the boys at the school excel academically and on the sports field.  That’s one of the reason our boys have done so well in soccer, they are achievers.

However, Crowie stresses that academics come before sport. “All the players brought their books along to Pretoria to study for their exams which start in a few week’s time,” he said. “Most of the players are in grade 12, so their final exams are just around the corner. We achieved a 99 percent pass rate last year and are determined to maintain that standard”

The Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup is not an easy tournament, Crowie said. “The players seem to get better every year, but we prepared well for the finals and our hard work paid off.”