ASANDA MKIELE LOOKS FORWARD TO POLAND AND THE DANONE NATIONAL CUP WORLD FINALS

Football has already taken 11-year old Asanda Mkiele to places he has never been before, and it’s going to get even better.  Asanda is a member of the Sinamuva Public Primary School football team that was crowned the Danone Nations Cup South Africa champions in June and the reward is a trip to Warsaw, Poland to participate in the 2012 Danone Nations Cup World Finals, along with 39 other countries.

When Sinamuva Public Primary, from Imbali Township in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal won the Danone Nations Cup KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Final, they qualified to play in the National Finals in Johannesburg and for Asanda, like most of his team mates, that was the first time he had been out of Imbali.

“I was really scared. I was leaving home for the first time. I didn’t know what to expect from the other kids we would be playing against, and from the place itself,” he said.

Asanda is a centre-back who describes himself as being able to head the ball well and who is strong in defence and good at distributing and clearing the ball.

He was born into a family of four and lives with his grandmother, Thandazo Mkiele, who is a pensioner. His mother died two years ago and his father left immediately afterwards and they haven’t seen him since.

Asanda has dreams of becoming a doctor or a social worker one day and of making a difference in his community. “My grandmother motivates me,” he said. “She is very strong and has always told me to persevere, no matter how hard things are.”

Sinamuva Public Primary Schools’ journey in the Danone Nations Cup so far has not been easy, but it has been a dream come true, says Asanda. “Our facilities are not good and the opposition in the district and provincial playoffs were tough.  But hard work and determination saw us through.  What this has taught me is that dreams are never out of reach and that football can unite kids. I am proud of myself and my team mates.”

Asanda says that just winning this tournament has put his school on the map and he has been impressed with the support they have received from the local Department of Education and Department of Sport.  “Everyone is helping us prepare as best as possible.  I have never travelled anywhere far from Imbali. Football took us to Jo’burg, and now we are going to Poland. I can’t wait,” he said.

Danone Nations Cup South Africa ambassador, Neil Tovey, will be in Jo’burg to talk to the kids before they leave.  “My message to them will be to enjoy every moment and just go out there and do your best.  It is not about winning, but about learning and I can bet these kids will pick up some valuable football tips from other countries.”

Here are some pictures from last year Danone Nations Cup World Finals Farewell.

 

THE DANONE NATIONS CUP WORLD FINALS HAS CHANGED MY LIFE!

From the dusty streets of Ngxabaxha, a remote village in Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape, to the world football stage – this was the journey travelled by 14 Under 12 players from Barkerville Junior Secondary School after being crowned the 2011 Danone Nations Cup champions and getting the opportunity to travel to Spain to compete in the World Finals.  Sixolise Ntontela was one of the players and recounts his experience.

Coming from an impoverished village where there is limited water and almost no electricity, the trip was one of ‘firsts’.  Waiting to board a plane was the first for this young 11 year old:  “On the one hand I felt scared and a bit like crying, but on the other hand I was excited,” said Ntontela.  “I don’t think anyone in our village has ever been on a plane and knowing that I would go home with stories to tell the elders was exciting.  Yes, we will be educating them instead of the other way around!”

Ntontela acknowledged the valuable input from ex Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs player, Neil Tovey.  “Neil came to talk to us the day we left.  He spoke about travelling to Europe and put us at ease.  He told us it was natural to feel a bit nervous and all the teams will feel the same and we must just have fun.  He told us to enjoy this once in a life time experience and look at it like that as opposed to letting nerves ruin the wonderful opportunity.  I kept thinking of this throughout the trip.”

Reflects Ntontela:  “When we got to the grounds for our first game we were all very quiet.  Playing on an artificial pitch was so new to us.  The ball moves so quickly which we were not used to as our field at home is on a slope and the surface is bumpy without lines or proper goal posts.  Then we saw some South African journalists who told us to remember our culture and got us singing and blowing our vuvuzela’s.  This gave us such energy and we went onto the field and beat Germany 2 - 1.”

But their next game was not as good:  “The Canadian team was sitting in front of us at the draw and they were so big!” said the slightly build Ntontela.  “The giants got the better of us and beat us.  But we kept remembering what Neil said – the experience is also about losing games and bouncing back.”

“We finished in 28^th position out of 40 countries.  We would like to have done better, but we need to remember that our team had the second smallest players (Haitian players were the smallest) and we managed to finish higher on the log than football playing nations such as Italy and France.  Brazil and South Africa were the first two teams to arrive in Spain so we became friends and did everything together.  They came first which we are pleased about.  They were always supporting us and we did the same for them.”

The youngster was impressed with the food and would have liked his mother to have seen what he ate.  Since this was not possible he has vowed to guide his mother to feed the family something similar.  Says the youngster with excitement:  “So much happened in Spain that I have a story to tell my family every day!”  He admits that prior to the trip he never believed what a powerful impact the Danone words ‘Believe in your dreams’ would have on his life. 

Ntontela admitted that there were some embarrassing moments and these related to learning things that most kids of his age around the world knew such as eating with a knife and fork.  “This was new to me.  There were so many things to learn that sometimes I wish I could go back just to see and learn more.”

What is for sure is that competing in the Danone Nations Cup World Finals has opened his eyes to the world and there is no turning back.  Ntontela will be working that much harder and in six years time, after completing school, he is determined to go to University and study Mechanical Engineering as this will help him earn the money to see more of the world.  “But first I will build a house for my mother and help my brothers and sisters with their education.  I am so determined that I have asked my maths teacher, Mr Mngambi to mentor me.”

Ntontela is not just a good soccer player and is currently on trials for the Under 13 Eastern Cape Cricket team.

Since its inception in 2000, the tournament has grown from 8 participating countries to now 40 and South Africa is the only country to win the event three times (2003,2007 and 2009) and to date the Danone Nations Cup has touched the lives of over 16 million children around the world. “All kids who get to the World Finals, experience that will undoubtedly become a cherished memory. Good habits and the formative years of life are fundamental building blocks for the future predominantly to young people. This tournament truly gives young children an opportunity to strive for more in their lives, hence the motto believe in your dreams” says Sandra Dorville, Communications manager of Danone Southern Africa.

Sixolise Ntontela (right) with teammate Siphosakhe Dyantyi

POPULAR WITH THE 39 DANONE NATIONS CUP COUNTRIES

The Barkerville Junior Secondary School Under 12 teams, currently competing in the Danone Nations Cup World Finals in Madrid, Spain, will play for position 25 – 28 at the home of Real Madrid Football Club tomorrow, Sunday, 9 October and will be watched by the legendary French international footballer, Zinedine Zidane.

Considering there are 40 competing countries, and putting the current situation of the school in perspective, this is an amazing achievement for these youngsters and they will be coming home as heroes.

Barkerville is based in a tiny rural village in the Mount Frere Region in the Eastern Cape where there is limited water supply and almost no electricity meaning the boys have not even had the privilege of watching professional football on television.  For them Europe was known as possessing a passion for football similar to South Africa.  Furthermore, the youngsters had never flown on a plane and the food they were exposed to has taken some getting used to!

And so the 2011 Danone Nations Cup World Final started with a win against Germany 2 – 1 which left the South Africans elated and feeling invincible. But their second game was against Canada, the team that will be playing for top honours in the Final, and they were beaten 3 – 0 followed by a 1 – 0 defeat against Bulgaria drawing 1 all with Algeria to end fourth in Group H. This did not go down well for a team from a country that has a culture of ‘win at all cost’ and they were a little down.

But the boys arrived at the Stadium on Day 2 with renewed confidence, excitement and a zest for life.  The reason for the confidence?  Not because of what was happening on the field, but what happened off the field.  South Africa was one of the main attractions for many other teams including Brazil, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Bulgaria (the latter team sat at the side of each South African game cheering them on even though they were in the same Group and were their direct competitors).  Then there were the other teams from Africa including Tunisia and Senegal who sat on the side of the field screaming for ‘Africa’ whenever South Africa played.

While enjoying the attention, the South Africans were wondering why they were getting so much -  and then it became clear - the legacy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.  All these youngster from the 49 other participating countries were football fanatics and all had watched the 2010 FIFA World Cup on television.  They all knew how to sing the Waka Waka and were pestering the South African team manager to teach them how to sing Shosholoza.  Within one day the Argentineans and Brazilians were experts and were heard singing this South African traditional song throughout the day.

Another point of interest is the size of the South African players which is pint size compared to most of the more developed countries estimated to be caused by poor nutrition. The only other country that had kids smaller than the South Africans was Haiti.   “Danone is fully aware of the effect that poor eating habits at a young age, which in South Africa relates to poverty, can have on growth which is why we are looking at introducing an affordable product into the market that has exceptional nutritional properties,” said Sandra Dorville, Communications Manager of Danone Southern Africa.  “Poor nutrition as a young age restricts bone growth which is a problem in developing countries and we would like to make a difference in the South African landscape.”

The Danone Nations Cup World Finals continue tomorrow, Sunday, 9 October.

RESULTS:

South Africa   2  Germany 1
Bulgaria 2 Algeria 0
Germany 4 Bulgaria 0
South Africa 0 Canada 3
Algeria 1 Canada 1
South Africa 0 Bulgaria 1
Canada 2 Bulgaria 0
Germany 2 Algeria 0
South Africa 1 Algeria 1
Germany 0 Canada 2

FINAL LOG:

Canada
Germany
Bulgaria
South Africa
Algeria

PLAY-OFFS:

South Africa 1    Spain 1 (Spain won on Penalties)
South Africa 0   Italy 0 (South Africa won on Penalties)
South Africa 0 Turkey 2

Danone Nations Cup World Finals - Sakhuxolo Ntshikilana makes friends with the team from Brazil

Danone Nations Cup World Finals SA vs Spain- Barkerville Asivuyise Ndzamela

Danone Nations Cup World Finals SA vs Spain- Barkerville Thando Mzotsho

South African team learns from the Danone Nations Cup World Finals

Barkerville Junior Secondary School, representing South Africa at the Danone Nations Cup World Finals happening in Madrid, Spain, might not be in the running to win the tournament, but are relishing the opportunity and learning some valuable football lessons.

“The highlight of my trip to Spain so far is watching how other countries score goals,” said Barkerville Captain, and striker, Sakhuxolo Ntshikilana. “I our first goal this morning against Germany, but we missed a lot of opportunities in our next matches, particularly against Algeria and Bulgaria when we failed to convert.  I have been watching the other teams score goals and I will definitely go back home to Mount Frere a better player.”

The Barkerville boys come from a poor rural community in the Mount Frere Region in the Eastern Cape where there is limited electricity and therefore they are not even able to watch football on television.  “We follow football on the radio and watching the other 39 countries play has been fascinating to us,” said Ntshikilana.  “What I also love here is the friendship that all the countries have shown us, particularly Argentina.  They even came to our team manager and asked her to teach them how to sing Shosholoza and they sang and cheered us on during all our matches.  I couldn’t believe it and it was such fun.”

The competition continues tomorrow, Saturday, 8 October with the positional play-offs.  South Africa will play another three games and their final one will be at the famous home of Real Madrid in the presence of the legendary French international, Zinedine Zidane.

RESULTS:

South Africa   2  Germany 1
Bulgaria 2 Algeria 0
Germany 4 Bulgaria 0
South Africa 0 Canada 3
Algeria 1 Canada 1
South Africa 0 Bulgaria 1
Canada 2 Bulgaria 0
Germany 2 Algeria 0
South Africa 1 Algeria 1
Germany 0 Canada 2
 
FINAL LOG:
Canada
Germany
Bulgaria
South Africa
Algeria

Danone Nations Cup World Finals SA vs Germany - Barkerville Captain Sakhuxolo Ntshikilana and Asivuyise Ndzamela

Danone Nations Cup World Finals SA vs Germany - Barkerville Sandise Damane

Danone Nations Cup World Finals SA vs Germany - Barkerville Siphosakhe Dyantyi

Danone Nations Cup World Finals SA vs Canada - Barkerville Captain Sakhuxolo Ntshikilana

Danone Nations Cup World Finals SA vs Canada - Barkerville Captain Sakhuxolo Ntshikilana and Qhamani Mandlevu

Danone Nations Cup World Finals SA vs Canada - Barkerville Siphosakhe Dyantyi

PAST GOOD RESULTS SAW SOUTH AFRICA SEEDED IN DANONE NATIONS CUP WORLD FINAL DRAW

South Africa is the only country to have won the Danone Nations Cup World Finals, the biggest football tournament for children between the ages of 10 and 12 in the world, three times and for this the team was rewarded by being seeded in the Draw for the 2011 Fixtures which took place in Madrid, Spain.

But Barkerville Senior Secondary School, who will be representing South Africa,  will not have an easy ride to get to the Final.  Their first opponent will be  Germany at 10am tomorrow, Friday, 7 October.  To the youngsters this is  a little daunting, not because they have seen their opponents in action, or even know anything about the team’s performance, but merely  from reputation as Germany is known as a powerhouse football nation.

But the team management are more daunted by their second opponents, Canada, who the youngster will play at 11.20.  “The team might have two girls in it, but about half the team comprises African Canadians who are enormous,” said team Manager, Primrose Lwana.  “They just tower over the Barkerville boys.”

But the South African Schools Football Association CEO, Steve Pila, gave the boys encouragement and told them to go onto the field, play the best they can and just have confidence.  “After all, look at last year when Bree Primary, the 2009 Danone Nations Cup South African representatives, played against Switzerland in the Final.  They towered over our boys who dribbled around them leaving them frustrated.  Bree were the ultimate winners.”

Barkerville will then play Bulgaria at 2.20pm with Algeria being their final opponents in the Pool section at 5pm.

In accordance to the FIFA Rules and Regulation for teams competing at this age group, games will be 15 minutes long except for the final where the teams will play for 20 minutes.

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SA'S BARKERVILLE JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL SET TO DAZZLE IN SPAIN

Zinedine Zidane, the ex Real Madrid player and current Ambassador of the Danone Nations Cup World Final, is a footballer the boys from Barkerville Junior Secondary School will try to emulate as they run onto the pitch of the world renowned Santiago Bernabeu Stadium next weekend when they compete in the 12^th edition of the biggest tournament in the world for kids between 10 and 12 years old.

For these boys who come from Mount Frere, a poor rural village near Mthatha, this is the beginning of an experience that will last a life time.  They are completely unfazed by the magnitude of such an occasion:  ”We don’t know much about Spain accept for the big teams from that country like Barcelona and Real Madrid, but we are looking forward to playing on the very same field that Zinedine Zidane played for so many years,” said star midfielder Asivuyise Ndzamela

“I have never seen these boys as confident and excited as they are now,” said Mrs Lwana, team manager and Grade 1 Life Skills and Maths teacher at the school. “We are going well prepared as we have had excellent coaching from the Eastern Cape Football Academy which has done wonders for the players and will just make them better players. 

“The youngster’s perspective of the world has grown immensely since winning the Danone Nations Cup,” said team head coach, Mpilo Canga.  “The spotlight is on us and we plan to make South Africans proud next week.”

Sharing the teams’ excitement will be Marvelous Nelwamundo, a grade 10 pupil from Capricorn High school in Polokwane who won the Danone, Canon Kids Reporter competition in July this year.

Marvelous will be accompanying the team to Spain, as a kid reporter documenting the teams’ progress and learning the tricks of the Media trade. The highlight of the trip for Nelwamundo however will undoubtedly be the much coveted press conference when the youngsters get to interview the legendary Zinedine Zidane.  “I love Spanish food and the culture so this trip will be really great for me, but I have to admit that getting to meet Zidane is the best part of it all.” Says an overly excited Nelwamundo.

Since its inception in 2000, the tournament has grown from 8 participating countries to now 40 and South Africa has won the event three times (2003,2007 and 2009) and to date the Danone Nations Cup has touched the lives of over 16 million children around the world. “By bringing healthy food and some good healthy fun together, children learn about life through a shared experience. And to those who get to the World Finals, it is an experience that will undoubtedly become a cherished memory,” says Sandra Dorville, Communications manager of Danone Southern Africa.

The youngsters will get to meet local football legend, Neil Tovey, who will be there to wish them well before they leave on their trip.  He will focus on telling the youngsters not to be competitive but to go out and just enjoy every game they play in.  “The Danone Nations Cup is built on very specific principles which are Humanism, Openness, Proximity and Enthusiasm.”

BARKERVILLE BOYS PREPARE FOR DREAM FINAL IN SPAIN

South Africans might not have heard of a little village in the Eastern Cape called Mount Frere, but this changed in July this year when Barkerville Junior Primary School were crowned the Danone Nations Cup champions, winning for themselves a trip to Spain from 5 – 10 October to compete in the Danone Nations Cup World Finals, the biggest tournament for children between 10 and 12 in the World!

Preparations are well underway for this once in a lifetime trip where the team will compete against 39 other nations. The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan has come on board and is running weekly training camps for the youngsters and one player that is relishing this opportunity is 12 year-old striker, Qhamani Mandlevu.

Mandlevu was a contributing factor to the team’s success.  He scored 11 goals in the elimination games and 3 goals in the National Finals.  Barkerville finally beat Kgwahlele Primary School from Limpopo 1 – 0 to win the title.  His coach credits him with having lightning pace, good finishing and is confident with the ball at his feet and will be using him in the starting line-up in Spain.

Orlando Pirates stalwart, Andile Jali, is young Mandlevu’s football hero and role model.  “I love Andile Jali and I recently found out that he is from the Eastern Cape which gives me even more confidence as I know that the Eastern Cape also produces skilled footballers.  He (Jali) has become an inspiration to all of us as we saw how hard he worked and his determination to get to play at the top level of the game and we all want to do the same.”

While Mandlevu undoubtedly has a great love for the beautiful game, his plans extend far beyond soccer: “I would like to study Mechanical Engineering one day and besides football I also love athletics.  Maybe I will be the fastest runner in South Africa one day.”

Mandlevu admitted that life in Mount Frere is not easy.  Being a small town there are not many business opportunities meaning that most people are unemployed.  “If I make it into professional football my first few pay cheques will go towards building a decent house for my family because currently my mother, three siblings and I live in a one bedroom house.”

The upcoming trip to Spain may just be the beginning of a future Mandlevu is currently only dreaming about.  He will be making new friends and creating many fond memories that he will carry for a lifetime, which is the primary objective of the Danone Nations Cup:  “By bringing healthy food and some good healthy fun together, children learn about life through a shared experience. And to those who get to the World Finals, it is an experience that will undoubtedly become a cherished memory,” says Sandra Dorville, Communications manager of Danone Southern Africa.

Walking around the field and watching all teams in action in Spain will be none other than the Danone Nations Cup ambassador, Zinedine Zidane.   This famous French international and FIFA footballer of the Year has been involved with the tournament since its inception in 2000 as he believes in the values upon which the tournament is built.

A focused Mandlevu keeps his eye on the ball

Qhamani Mandlevu on the ball for Barkerville Junior Secondary School at the Danone Nations Cup National Final

YOUNGSTERS DREAM OF PLAYING AT THE HOME OF REAL MADRID COMES TRUE

Rising football star, Asivuyise Ndzamela, has a lot to be proud of after helping his School, Barkerville Junior Secondary School, win a trip to Madrid, Spain, to compete in the Danone Nations Cup World Finals.  There will be 40 countries competing in this, the largest tournament for children between the ages of 10 and 12 in the world. 

Barkerville Junior Secondary School started campaigning for Spain back in February.  After a gruelling elimination process they managed to become the Eastern Cape Provincial champions and on to Gauteng for the National Finals, beating Kgwahlele Primary from Limpopo 1 – 0 to take top honours.

For the talented and ambitious central defender from Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape, travelling to Spain is not just a once in a lifetime sporting occasion but an inspiration for the future:  “Through winning the Danone Nations Cup and to be travelling to Spain in October, I have realised that dreams do come true and sometimes our dreams are closer than what we think”.

Ndzamela, who dreams of becoming a doctor and making a difference in his community, has identified his grandmother as his biggest motivator:   “My grandmother is very strong and has taught me how to persevere. Through those lessons I’ve gone from playing soccer with a ball made from plastic bags and goal posts made from mud bricks to going to represent my country in Spain, even playing at the home ground of Real Madrid. I hope to make my country and the people of Mount frère very proud.”

The 40 countries competing in the 2011 Danone Nations Cup World Finals will arrive in Spain on 5 October and a draw will take place to determine the fixtures.  The Group round robin stage kicks-off on 6 October.  On 9 October all countries will play their final games in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, the home ground of Real Madrid.  Walking around the field and watching all the teams in action will be none other than the Danone Nations Cup ambassador, Zinedine Zidane.

Group Danone, one of the world’s largest producers of fresh dairy products, started the competition in 2000 with the desire to act sustainably on behalf of children’s well-being and health. “Football as a universal sport is the perfect way to promote values like fair play, the pleasure of the game, team spirit, sharing -and above all- human values like openness, and respect”, explains Sandra Dorville, communications manager of Danone South Africa.

“By bringing healthy food and some good healthy fun together, children learn about life through a shared experience. And to those who get to the world finals, it is an experience that will undoubtedly become a cherished memory,” says Dorville.

With the abundance of talent in the Barkerville side and the leadership and composure of Ndzamela in defence, as well as the burning desire for success that the boys from the Eastern Cape posses, the Nation can’t help but be optimistic, with a certain degree of belief that our boys can once again return with the coveted title of world champs.

For many of these boys, if not all, this will be the third time they will be leaving the dusty roads of Mount Frere and the first time they will ever have the experience of flying across the world to get firsthand experience of European culture.  This experience will be life changing and will impact the boys for the rest of their lives.

Ndzamela (Blue) breaks away with the ball

Ndzamela (Blue) tussles with his opponent

Danone Nations Cup South Africa 2011 Kids Reporter

Over the last couple of days we have had the pleasure to speak to Marvelous Nelwamondo the Danone Natiosn Cup Kids Reporter for South Africa. Marvelous will go to the Danone Nations Cup World Finals in Spain with the kids from Barkerville primary School. he will be able to interview kids from various countries and have the opportunity to meet and interview Zinedine Zidane.

Name:  Marvelous Nelwamondo

School: Capricorn High School

Grade:  Grade 10

BACKGROUND:  Marvelous was born in Venda, Limpopo.  His family moved to Polokwane when he was 8 years old to seek better opportunities.   He loves Polokwane and is good with languages and since being there has learnt to speak fluent Pedi and Tsonga.

FAMILY:  He comes from a family of 6.  Father, Alex, is a teacher at one of the primary schools in Venda and his mother, Rachel, owns a small cash loan business. Marvelous has  two older sisters:  21year old Tracey graduates from Wits University Medical School in September and 18 year old Adelaide is completing her second year Chartered Accounting at Monesh University.  He has a baby sister, Dembe, who has just started nursery school.  He is the only son.

HOBBIES:  Swimming, chess, watching football and going to the mall.

FOOTBALL EXPERIENCE: He plays football at school as well as for a local amateur team, Ambassadors FC, as a Central Midfielder. Football is his passion and his favourite team is Orlando Pirates.

ETV COMPETITION: He was watching TV and entered the competition not dreaming he would win.  He is currently one of the top 10 best essay writers at his school.  In 2010 he came first in an essay competition beating 19 other participants.  His dream while in Spain is to get the opportunity to interview Zinedine Zidane.  For school projects he has had to conduct interviews and he chose his family doctor and cousin.   One of his ambitions is to write a book. 

EXPECTATIONS FROM THIS EXPERIENCE:  He believes that life in about learning, he expects to learn new things and apply the newly learned skills, knowledge and abilities in his life one day.  He will travel with the team and he is not sure what to expect as the kids are from the Eastern Cape and he is from Limpopo, but he will do his best and get the best interviews possible.

SKILLS NEEDED TO BE A KID REPORTER:  Be believes one must be good with people, confident, prepare well and have a good knowledge of the topic you are reporting on. He believes a good reporter must be a great listener and have observation skill and know how to ask good questions.

TRIP TO SPAIN:  This will be an opportunity he will cherish forever. He believes that Spain is the best football nation in the world at the moment.  He follows Spanish football and all players as well as the food and culture.  He does not know what he wants to do after school but he is hoping this experience will point him in the right direction.  While he loves football, his aim is to go to University and study further.

TRAVEL EXPERIENCE:  He travelled to Atlanta, USA, in June 2010 for a church conference.

BEST SUBJECTS AT SCHOOL: Life Orientation; He scored 100% this term.  It helps one learn about oneself in relation to society and how to relate to others.   Geography, specifically learning about caring for the environment:  “our values and attitudes can influence and effect our environment”.

Pictures of the Danone Nations Cup National Finals - Final Game

All photos are curtesy of Canon and World Of Sport Photographers.

Barkerville Primary School will represent SA in the Danone Nations Cup in Spain

Barkerville Primary school made history today when they won the Danone Nations Cup and will be the first team from the Eastern Cape to represent South Africa in the World Finals taking place in Madrid, Spain, from 5^th to 10^th July.  The dreams of 14 youngsters came true and the prize is competing against 39 other countries around the world.

Barkerville Primary was undoubtedly the best team on the day winning all their League games to top Group A clinching a spot in the final.  In Group B it was not such an easy ride. Kgwathele Primary from Limpopo managed to beat Sapebuso Primary from Gauteng by a mere point.

And so the final was an Eastern Cape versus Limpopo affair, but Barkerville was just too strong for the youngsters from the North and beat Kgwathele 1 – 0. The goal was scored by Qhamani Mandlevu about four minutes into the second half making this his third goal of the day.

“I am just so excited today,” said 11 year old Mandlevu.  “It was my dream to win and get to go to Spain.  I have heard that there are scouts at the Danone Nations Cup World Finals and I would really like to play well in front of them and hopefully catch the eye of one of them.  Even though I am only 11, I would like to go and play internationally from as early as possible.”

Mpilo Canga, Barkerville coach said:  “The message I instil in the boys is to always play with confidence and trust in your ability.  This will be the first time that any of these boys, including myself, will travel out the country and I am glad that the hard work that we have put into training has paid off!”

Danone Ambassador, Neil Tovey, attended the finals:  “I saw some talented individuals here today.  The youngsters that won are going to the Mecca of world football, Spain, and this will be a memory these players will cherish forever.  But there were other teams that were also good today, one being the team from KwaZulu-Natal, Ndongeni Primary.  I was really impressed with the talent as well as they way they played and for this credit must go to the coaches.”

Group Danone, one of the world’s largest producers of fresh dairy products, started the competition in 2000 with the desire to act sustainably on behalf of children’s well-being and health. Football as a universal sport is the perfect way to promote values like fair play, the pleasure of the game, team spirit, sharing -and above all- human values like openness, and respect, explains Sandra Dorville, communications manager of Danone South Africa.

“By bringing healthy food and some good healthy fun together, children learn about life through a shared experience. And to those who get to the world finals, it is an experience that will undoubtedly become a cherished memory,” says Dorville.

RESULTS:

POOL A                                                                                                 POOL B

Nozizwe (North West)                                                                   Phakamisani  (Western Cape)

Ndongeni KwaZulu-Natal)                                                            Kgwatlhele (Limpopo)

Robanyane Toto II (Northern Cape)                                        Sepebuso (Gauteng)

Barkerville (Eastern Cape)                                                            Mhlahle (Mpumalanga)

Mofulatshepe (Free State)

Noziziwe 0 v Ndongeni  2

Phakamisani 0 v Kgwathlele  1

Robanyane Toto II  0  v Barkerville 1

Sapebuso 1  v Mhlahle 0

Mofulatshepe 0 (P3)  v Nozizwe 0 (P2)

Ndongeni 0  v Barkerville  1

Kgwatlhele 1  v Mhlahle 0

Robanyane Toto II 1 (P2) v Mofulatshepe 1 (P3)

Barkerville  3  v  Nozizwe 0

Mhlahale 0 (P0)  v  Phakamisani 0 (P2)

Ndongeni 3  v Robanyane Toto II 0

Kgwatlhele 1 (P4) v Sapebuso 1 (P3)

Barkerville 3  v  Mofulatshepe 0

Nozizwe 4  v Robanyane Toto II 0

Mofulatshepe 0  Ndongeni  2

Phakamisani 1 (P4)  v Sepebuso 1 (P3)

FINAL LOGS:

POOL A                                                                                 POOL B

Barkerville (12 points)                                                    Kgwathele (6 points)

Ndongeni (9 points)                                                        Sapebuso (5 points)

Nozizwe (4 points)                                                          Phakamisane (2 points)

Mofulatshepe (2 points)                                                               Mhlahla (1 point)

Robanyane (2 Points)                                       

FINAL

BARKERVILLE                                                                     KGWATHELE

ABOUT DANONE

Danone entered the South African market in 1998 through a joint venture created with Clover SA. In January 2010 Danone acquired 100% of the Danone-Clover joint-venture and Danone Southern Africa was born. With 47% market share, Danone Southern Africa is the leader in the fresh dairy products and desserts.

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.

The School representing South Africa at the Danone Nations Cup World Finals in Spain will be known on 9 July at Eldorado Park

With the National Finals of the Danone Nations Cup around the corner, the nine teams that have made it through the qualifying stages of the competition are putting in their final training sessions in preparation for the 9 July.   The ultimate prize for the team that wins is a trip to Spain from 5 to 10 October to compete in the Danone Nations Cup World Finals with 39 other countries.

Approximately 2 000 schools registered to compete in the tournament.  Knockout competitions have been happening around the country since February and it is now down to just nine school teams, or 126 youngsters, who will be converging on the Eldorado Park Stadium to compete in the National Finals.  Games kick-off at 8.30am. 

It’s about pride, believes Eric Busakwe. Busakwe is the coach of Phakamisani Primary, the team that won the Western Cape Provincial leg of the 2011 Danone Nations Cup. Phakamisani has taken part in the Danone Nations Cup for the past five years, making it to the National Finals for three consecutive years.

“We were very close to representing South Africa at the World Finals last year,” Busakwe says. “But Sinenzuzo Primary beat us on penalties in the semifinals and we had to swallow our pride. There is only one thing on our minds right now, and that is to come back from Jo’burg as the National champions.”  

The 2011 Danone Nations Cup has seen many past winners knocked out of the running to make way for newcomers.  2010 National Champions from KwaZulu-Natal, Sinenzuzo Primary, were knocked out in the early rounds while 2008 and 2009 Champions, Bree Primary, who also were crowned World Champions in 2009, were knocked out in the Gauteng Provincial Finals.

With the top teams not competing, Busakwe believes that Ndongeni Primary from KwaZulu Natal will be the team to beat.

“The KwaZulu-Natal teams always give us a headache,” Busakwe explains. “They have a style of play that is very similar to our on-the-ground attacking style. But we have a plan on how to deal with them this time around - they won’t surprise us like they did last year. We are going to Spain this year, period.”

11 year old striker, Tebogo Mosetlhe, from the host school, Sapebuso Primary, will be in action on Saturday:  “We played very well in the Provincials beating experienced teams such as Bree Primary and that has given us confidence to do well in the National Finals. Our school principal and all the teachers will be there as well to give us moral support so I am very excited for Saturday.” Mosetlhe would like to be in Spain and has identified shaking hands with Danone Nations Cup Ambassador,  Zinedine Zindane, as the highlight of his trip – if he is a member of the lucky team that wins!

Sponsors Danone, together with partners Canon, will be erecting an Activity area for kids at the stadium which will include skills games, jumping castles, face painting, Canon photographers will be taking random pictures which the kids can take home immediately and many more.

“By bringing healthy food and some good healthy fun together, children learn about life through a shared experience. And to those who get to the world finals, it is an experience that will undoubtedly become a cherished memory,” explains Sandra Dorville, Communications Manager of Danone Southern Africa. “The experience of interacting with teams from other cultures and places in the world while playing the beautiful game gives the international leg of the Danone Nations Cup the feeling of a real world cup, but only for under-12’s.”

Gauteng fans are invited to join in the action of the National Final at Eldorado Park Stadium in Johannesburg on 9 July 2011 to see who will be going to the World Finals. The teams that will be battling it out for the top spot are Kgwahlele Primary (Limpopo), Nosizwe Primary (North West), Mhlahle Primary (Mpumalanga), Ndongeni Primary (KwaZulu-Natal), Robanyane Primary (Northern Cape), Backerville Primary (Eastern Cape), Phakamisani Primary (Western Cape) and Sapebuso Primary (Gauteng).  ENTRANCE FREE!

BARKERVILLE PRIMARY TO REPRESENT EASTERN CAPE AT THE NATIONAL FINALS

Seisa Dukashe Stadium in East London hosted the Eastern Cape leg of the Danone Nations Cup Provincial Finals, which saw Barkerville Primary School from the Alfred Nzo, beating Nkunzimbini from the O R Tambo Region, 4 – 0 to lift the trophy and become the 2011 Eastern Cape champions for the second time in three years.

The hero of the day was 10 year old attacking striker Slindile Jaane who scored a brace which helped his team emerge victorious.  Their next challenge will be the National Finals happening at the Eldoradopark Stadium in Gauteng on 9 July.  

If Bakerville win the National finals they will be the first Eastern Cape team to represent South Africa in the Danone Nations Cup World Finals which take place in Spain from 5 – 10 October.

But for many of the Bakerville youngsters just the trip to the City of Gold to play in the Nations finals is an exciting prospect and youngster, Qamane Mandlevo, who has never owned a pair of boots, is one such player.  This youngster is the team’s top goal scorer after netting 13 goals in just eight matches.

“Coach has told us that if we win in Gauteng we will travel by airplane to meet Zinedine Zidane in Spain which has made me even more determined to score more goals at the National finals,” says the 11 year old striker, Jaane.

Currently Jaane plays all his football on a pitch without grass and his dream is to become a player like his idol, Andile Jali currently with Orlando Pirates.  Jali originates from the Eastern Cape.

Bakerville  coach, Mpilo Changa has full confidence in his team and has singled out striker Slindile Jaane and team captain Sakhuxolo Ntsikilana as his key players. “We have worked really hard this season. At some point I thought we were going to be knocked out at the lowers level as most of my players are from disadvantaged backgrounds and it is not always possible for them to travel to attend games and practice sessions so our training has been inconsistent.  In fact I had to pay for transport for the kids to practice sessions, but this was never a problem as each and every player has a passion for the sport and a dream to go far.  I could not disappoint them.”

Barkerville is the seventh team to qualify for the 2011 National Finals after Nosizwe primary of the North West, Mhlahle from Mpumalanga, Robanyane primary of the Northern Cape, Mofulatshepe from Free State, Ndogeni Primary from KwaZulu – Natal and Kgwahlele from the Limpopo Province.

The overall winner in the National Championships will realize the dream of enjoying the Danone Nations Cup experience at an international final from 5 – 10 October, where they will not only compete for the world title but will have the opportunity to share with other young soccer lovers from across the globe, meet an international soccer icon Zinedine Zidane and most importantly have fun!

RESULTS – NORTH WEST PROVINCIAL FINALS

POOL - A

TEAM 1 – MZIMKHULU PRIMARY SCHOOL

TEAM 2 – ZANOXOLO PRIMARY SCHOOL

TEAM 3 – NKUNZIMBINI PRIMARY SCHOOL

TEAM 4 – CHARLES MORGAN PRIMARY SCHOOL

POOL - A

TEAM 1 – EMPUMELELWENI PRIMARY SCHOOL

TEAM 2 – BARKERVILLE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Mzimkhulu Primary   0 vs     Zanoxolo Primary 3

Nkuzimbini Primary 1  (4)   vs      Charles Morgan  Primary 1 (5)

Empumelelweni  Primary   1 (2)    vs       Bakerville Primary 1 (3)

Mzimkhulu Primary  0   vs      Nkuzimbini  Primary 3

Zanoxolo Primary   1   vs       Charles Morgan Primary 0

Barkerville Primary 3 vs Vusumzi Primary 0

Charles Morgan Primary 3 vs Mzimkhulu Primary 0

Ntunzimbini Primary 2 vs Zanoxolo Primary 0

Vusumzi Primary 1 vs Empumelelweni 3

FINAL LOG POSTION

POOL A: 1^st – Ntuzimbini Primary, 2^nd – Zanoxolo Primary, 3^rd – Charles Morgan Primary, 4^th – Mzimkhulu Primary.

POOL B: 1^st – Barkerville Primary, 2^nd – Empumelelweni Primary 3^nd - Vusumzi Primary,

FINAL

Nkunzimbini Primary 0 vs  Barkerville Primary 4

WINNER DANONE NATIONS CUP – EASTERN CAPE 2011 – Barkerville Primary School