KFC Mini-Cricket season officially begins at the Northerns Provincial Festival

With over 1500 kids in attendance at the 2019/20 KFC Mini-Cricket Provincial Festival, the KFC Mini-Cricket kids from the capital city kicked off by bowling and batting their hearts out at the first KFC Mini-Cricket Provincial Festival at Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria.

The day’s festivities started off with KFC celebrating the 10-year milestone in partnership with Cricket South Africa and recognised 10 volunteer coaches for their tireless efforts and unwavering contribution to the programme for the last 10 years.

The programme brings youngsters from across our diverse country together and not only introduces them to the wonderful game of cricket but also allows them to play and have fun. The afternoon saw the excited kids being treated to a fun filled day, getting active with their teams and interacting with Zac and their favourite local stars in DJ Zinhle, Motlatsi Mafatshe and Cindy Poluta.

The attending kids from the various schools are a part of the 124 000 kids from 6495 schools that take part in over 40 000 KFC Mini-Cricket matches around the country over the cricket season.

The KFC Mini-Cricket programme remains one of the most impactful and significant development programmes in the South African sporting landscape and goes far beyond the game of cricket.

Kids from all walks of life and corners of the country will continue to have a platform that will help them grow, develop and shine in hopes of reaching their full potential and realise their dreams and possibly become the future stars of this country, like their Protea Heroes.

• The 10 volunteer coaches that were recognised at the KFC Mini-Cricket Northerns Provincial festival were: Madelein Viviers (LSEN), Patricia Matimbe (Mamelodi), Isaac Theledi (Atteridgeville), Ian Morton (Eersterust), Rebecca Tooka (Hammanskraal), Mokhadi Sekhu (Soshanguve), Sharlene Adonis (South East), Marietjie Tromp (Laudium), Bertus Theron (North West and Central) and Evelyn Kotsedi (Cullinan)

Tshwane U19 School favourites to win the R1 million Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup prize

After months of gruelling qualifiers the 3 000 schools that registered for the U19 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup have been reduced to just 18. The 18 teams will go head to head in the national finals taking place at the Giant Stadium, Soshanguve, Tshwane between 6^th and 9^th October.

Holy Trinity High School of Atteridgeville won the Gauteng provincial title after defeating the defending champions,  Clapham High School – the Mamelodi Sundowns Academy’s school - to make it through.

That win, according to the team manager, Patrick Moubane, has given them plenty of confidence and the team will be bolstered by the return of 7 players who missed the Gauteng finals because they were on national under-17 and under-19 duty.

Holy Trinity houses the Supersport United Academy and Moubane believes the experience that the players get at the club gives them a big advantage. “Our players have played in higher level competitive games than most of the other schools that we will be playing against at the nationals,” he said. “They have qualified coaches and a technical support team that focuses on the team only as opposed to being teachers who coach at the same time”.

Preparations for the national finals are under way, Moubane said. “Training has been going well, and from what I have heard from the players, they are giving 110% to the training programme that is designed by their coach, Kaitano Tambo.  I think that the team has been working hard and have shown that they are ready.”

Having the national players back means the team for the nationals is much stronger than that for the provincial finals. “All our players have come back and want to represent the school because they didn’t have a chance to do so during the provincials,” Moubane said.

The manager is expecting Free State champions Harmony High School to be their strongest opposition, “They won the national title in 2011 and each year they win their provincials and do well at the nationals.

“Last year we were with Rosina Sedibane at the nationals and did not do well against Harmony. We are ready to face up against them, with soccer nothing is definite. Maybe this year is our year,” he said.

Moubane believes playing at home will be an advantage for them. “The other teams have to travel from the different provinces, but we won’t have to worry about fatigue, while the others will still be recovering from travelling to Gauteng. Our plan is to strike while the iron is hot, going into our first game we have to make sure that we dominate and make the opposition work extremely hard to get the ball and tire them out some more.

“We will also have the community’s support, everyone from Pretoria will be coming to support us and the fans will give us the edge. Our learners will also come through to support their school.”

Moubane said that beating Clapham 1-0 at the Gauteng Provincial finals was crucial. “Beating the national champions proved to us that we can beat any school if we continue playing like we have been. The team has improved tremendously, and we are hopeful that we are going to win the nationals,” he concluded. 

All competing teams:

GAUTENG PROVINCE
1	WINNER:            Holy Trinity High School, Atteridgeville
2	RUNNER UP:      Thaba Jabula Senior Secondary School, Soweto
NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE
3	WINNER:            A.J. Ferreira High School, Upington
4	RUNNER UP:      Okiep High School, Springbok
LIMPOPO PROVINCE
5	WINNER:            Benny’s Sports Development Academy, Makhado
6	RUNNER UP:      Makikele High School, Phalaborwa
FREE STATE PROVINCE
7	WINNER:             Harmony High School, Virginia
8	RUNNER UP:       Tlokola Secondary School, Marquard
EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE
9	WINNER:             Lingelihle Senior Secondary School, Queenstown
10	RUNNER UP:       Walmer High School, Nelson Mandela Bay
WESTERN CAPE  PROVINCE
11	WINNER:             Mondale High School, Mitchells Plain
12	RUNNER UP:       Desmond Mpilo Tutu Senior Secondary School, Paarl
NORTHWEST   PROVINCE
13	WINNER:             Sebetwane Secondary School, Tlakgameng
14	RUNNER UP:       Matlaisane Secondary School, Hammanskraal
KWAZULU NATAL  PROVINCE
15	WINNER:               Tholokuhle High School, Richards Bay
16	RUNNER UP:        Umqhele High school, Pinetown
MPUMALANGA
17	WINNER:            St Marks International School, Nelspruit
18	RUNNER UP:     Kwa Shuku Secondary School, Piet Retief

Tshwane schools prepare for Danone Nations Cup playoffs

The Gauteng inter-district playoff of the under-12 Danone Nations Cup will take place on 28^th and 29^th May and two Pretoria schools - Lotus Primary School in the Tshwane West District and Northridge Primary School in Tshwane North – have emerged as hot contenders.

Three years ago, when Lotus Primary played in their first Danone Nations Cup, they realised that the competition was tough and if they wanted to get somewhere in the tournament they would have to start preparing much earlier.  Fast forward to 2014, the then 8 and 9 year olds are now 11 and 12 and, according to their coach, Ernest Bennett, they have the confidence, experience and are equipped to deal with the high level of competition in the tournament.

“The boys are strong in their passes, footwork and their speed has improved tremendously, I believe this is the year that we are going to represent Gauteng at the nationals,” he said.

Bennett doesn’t think his players are intimidated by the opposition. “All the boys play for local teams, some of them in the under-13 leagues, so they are physically and mentally fit, they have a clear and better understanding of the game, We played 6 school in the cluster games and won all, the boys are hungry and determined to win this tournament this year .”

Bennett describes his coaching style as restrained. “I refuse to shout at players while they are playing. I only talk to them during half time and tell them what they should and shouldn’t be doing. We are dealing with young minds, they need to be free with you and not be scared to voice their opinions.”

Themba Skhosana, a left wing, is the key player in the team. “He is tricky and uses the ball effectively, he was the man of the match on Saturday when we played our district qualifier games,” Bennett said. “He is a quality player and always gives his best in every game; you should definitely be on the lookout for him.”

Northridge Primary School coach, Noel Nquku, also believes his team has a good chance of going further in the competition.  

This is just the second time the school has played in the tournament and Nquku said they used last year to see what it was all about, this time he thinks they can go much further. “This year we are coming into the tournament with a better understanding of the competition and we are better prepared and are ready for the challenge,” he said.

All of last year’s players are back in the squad, so they are familiar with the tournament, they have gained the experience and are confident that this year they will take the title, said Nquku. “Our performance has improved from last year, the players are more vigilant and their passing skills are better,” Nquku said.

The team is playing in a local schools league in preparation and Nquku said they are using that to strategise and to decide on formations.

“The boys are motivated by the idea of going to Brazil if they win the national title and they always have that at the back of their minds every time they play a game in this tournament.”

The team’s captain, midfielder Katlego Molase, left wing Lebohang Maseko and right wing Brilliance Mokekwa are the players Nquku will be looking to produce the goods for the team in the regional finals. “They make a dynamite team and have proved to be the best,” he said

The Gauteng provincial finals will take place at Reiger Park, Boksburg, on 14 June.