The Limpopo under-12 Danone
Nations Cup provincial final will take place at Hoërskool Noordeland on
Saturday, 8th June, kick-off at 10am. The winner will proceed
to the national finals happening at the WJ Clement Stadium in Reiger Park,
Gauteng on 15th June. The ultimate winner will represent the
country at the world finals in Spain in October.
Vhembe’s Benny’s Sports Academy,
the reigning Limpopo champions, who also represented South Africa at the world
finals in France in 2016, were knocked out by newcomers, Mahonisi Primary School, who only started
competing in the Danone Nations Cup last year.
“What a game we had against Benny’s. They were
a strong and skilled team and tough to beat. The game ended goalless and
we went on to win 5 – 4 on penalties,” said an excited coach, Ebby Maluleke,
who has no qualifications and coaches because of his love for the game, as
opposed to the highly experienced coaches from Benny’s. “My key player
was the goalkeeper, Rotshi Gila. Benny’s could not get past him. He
was the one that helped take us to the provincials.”
Also new to the provincial final is Mapudithomo
Primary School based in Gamothapo, who will be representing the Capricorn
district. “At last we have made the provincial finals,” said coach Lucas
Mathole. “We have been participating in this competition for the past 10
years but getting to the provincials has eluded us. We have a total of
1 200 pupils at the school, which sounds a lot, but the area is rural and
there is little here in terms of assisting in improving the standard of soccer,
so I have to rely on my knowledge of the game as I still play club soccer.”
Preparing for the provincials has required the assistance
of all the educators at the school, said Mathole. “I have asked other
educators to come and watch us practise to help identify what is needed in
terms of upskilling and correcting mistakes. My manager, Mr Tjale, sets up
inter-house and friendly games, which has also helped a lot. As they say,
practise makes perfect, and we hope to be on top form on Saturday. My captain
and vice-captain, making up my strike force will be my key players on the day.”
Both Mapudithomo and Mahonisi coaches agree that the
Danone Nations Cup is very important to all under-12 kids as it keeps them
active, teaches life skills such as communication, trust, the importance of
teamwork and nutrition.
“The Danone Nations Cup is more than just a
soccer tournament,” said Marlinie Kotiah, Head of Corporate Affairs,
Danone Southern Africa.
“It is about developing healthy eating habits and this
year we launched our new brand positioning and purpose, One Planet One Health, which
reflects our belief that the health of humankind and that of the planet are
interlinked and both need to be protected and nurtured. Through the Danone
Nations Cup we are contributing to bringing this vision to life by promoting
the importance of exercise. Further, we are encouraging our young athletes to
‘Play Football, Change the Game’, which is a rallying message to unite children, irrespective of their backgrounds and
cultures, and to encourage them to become catalysts for positive change.”
There
will be five regional winners competing on Saturday.
Vhembe:
Mahonisi Primary School
Sekhukhune:
Nkadimeng Primary School
Mopani:
Thapola A Nkona (has participated in past provincial finals)
Capricorn:
Mapudithomo Primary School
Waterburg:
still awaiting confirmation of their participation
About
Danone
Danone Southern Africa is part of the Danone Group, one
of the fastest-growing food companies in the world. Danone is present in
over 120 countries across all continents. With 160 plants and around 100,000
employees, the Danone Group is the number one worldwide for Fresh Dairy
Products. Danone’s mission is to bring health through food to as many people as
possible.
One
of the core values of the Danone Nations Cup tournament is to encourage young
people to believe in their dreams. Through this initiative Danone offers a
sporting event that reaches out to and inspires millions of children all over
the world
GROUP
DANONE
Dedicated
to bringing health through food to as many people as possible, Danone is a
leading global food & beverage company building on health-focused and
fast-growing categories in three businesses: Essential Dairy & Plant-Based
Products, Waters and Specialized Nutrition. Danone aims to inspire healthier
and more sustainable eating and drinking practices, in line with its ‘One
Planet. One Health’ vision which reflects a strong belief that the health of
people and that of the planet are interconnected. To bring this vision to life
and create superior, sustainable, profitable value for all its stakeholders,
Danone has defined its 2030 Goals: a set of nine integrated goals aligned with
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Danone commits
to operating in an efficient, responsible and inclusive manner; it holds itself
to the highest standards in doing business, as reflected by its ambition to
become one of the first multinationals certified as B CorpTM. With more than
100,000 employees, and products sold in over 120 markets, Danone generated
€24.7 billion in sales in 2018. Danone’s portfolio includes leading
international brands (Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Aptamil, Danette, Danio,
Danonino, evian, Nutricia, Nutrilon, Volvic, among others) as well as strong
local and regional brands (including AQUA, Blédina, Bonafont, Cow & Gate,
Horizon, Mizone, Oikos, Prostokvashino, Silk, Vega).
