Excitement builds for the Limpopo KFC Mini-Cricket Festival

The Limpopo Cricket Union will be hosting a KFC Mini-Cricket Festival at the Polokwane Club on Saturday 12^th October with the aim of encouraging more and more kids to get active. Starting at 09:00, a morning of cricketing fun will see a variety of boys and girls from all over the region getting active together.

Differently-abled kids will also be included in the festival, but greater emphasis will be placed on hand-eye coordination, ball catching skills and the basics of the game.

KFC Mini-Cricket has over 100 000 kids actively participating in the programme around the country, with dedicated volunteer coaches sharing their passion for cricket, by helping these youngsters get the most out of the game from an early age.

“The Limpopo  region has an abundance of talent spread far and wide, so it’s important that we host this KFC Mini-Cricket Festival to bring kids and coaches from various backgrounds together to really enjoy the benefits of getting active”, says Lauren Turnbull, Sponsorships Manager of KFC South Africa.

Also attending the Limpopo KFC Mini-Cricket Festival will be local provincial. With so many players currently playing in the various domestic franchises having taken up the game at KFC Mini-Cricket level, it is only fitting that they are present to give needed guidance and inspiration to the kids on the day.

The kids attending the festival will also get the chance to audition to become KFC Mini-Cricket Ambassadors. Not only will this provide them with the opportunity of the provincial players, but successful participants will stand a chance to get active at the KFC T20 Internationals and Ram Slam T20 Challenge by participating in activities such as: the coin toss, taking the field as player escorts and acting as ball boys and girls on the boundaries at the matches.

There is an exciting 2013/14 KFC Mini-Cricket Season ahead of cricket with the KFC Mini-Cricket Kids vs the Proteas Tour. Seven lucky competition winners, selected through a USSD Competition that started on the 8th of September and ended on the 8^th October will get to play a KFC Mini-Cricket game against the Proteas!

The KFC Mini-Cricket Kids vs the Proteas Tour was launched in September with the Proteas, captained by AB De Villiers, beating the KFC Mini-Cricket kids by 15 runs. 

Excitement builds for the Mpumalanga KFC Mini-Cricket

The Mpumalanga Cricket Union will be hosting a KFC Mini-Cricket Festival at the Driekoppies Stadium in Lowveld on Friday 11^th October with the aim of encouraging more and more kids to get active. Starting at 10:00am a morning of cricketing fun will see a variety of boys and girls from all over the region getting active together.

Differently-abled kids will also be included in the festival, but greater emphasis will be placed on hand-eye coordination, ball catching skills and the basics of the game.

KFC Mini-Cricket has over 100 000 kids actively participating in the programme around the country, with dedicated volunteer coaches sharing their passion for cricket, by helping these youngsters get the most out of the game from an early age.

“The Limpopo  region has an abundance of talent spread far and wide, so it’s important that we host this KFC Mini-Cricket Festival to bring kids and coaches from various backgrounds together to really enjoy the benefits of getting active”, says Lauren Turnbull, Sponsorships Manager of KFC South Africa.

Also attending the Mpumalanga KFC Mini-Cricket Festival will be local provincial. With so many players currently playing in the various domestic franchises having taken up the game at KFC Mini-Cricket level, it is only fitting that they are present to give needed guidance and inspiration to the kids on the day.

The kids attending the festival will also get the chance to audition to become KFC Mini-Cricket Ambassadors. Not only will this provide them with the opportunity of the provincial players, but successful participants will stand a chance to get active at the KFC T20 Internationals and Ram Slam T20 Challenge by participating in activities such as: the coin toss, taking the field as player escorts and acting as ball boys and girls on the boundaries at the matches.

There is an exciting 2013/14 KFC Mini-Cricket Season ahead of cricket with the KFC Mini-Cricket Kids vs the Proteas Tour. Seven lucky competition winners, selected through a USSD Competition that started on the 8th of September and ended on the 8^th October will get to play a KFC Mini-Cricket game against the Proteas!

The KFC Mini-Cricket Kids vs the Proteas Tour was launched in September with the Proteas, captained by AB De Villiers, beating the KFC Mini-Cricket kids by 15 runs. 

Eastern Cape Schools benefit from Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Experience

Executive Academy School and Ndamase Senior Secondary School represented the Eastern Cape at the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup national finals in Durban, finishing the tournament in 12^th and 14^th positions respectively. Vuyisa Yolwa, team manager of Ndamase, says that although they were disappointed not to have come close to the semis or the final, they learnt an incredible amount from the experience which will benefit his players, and change the way in which they approach the sport.

“Firstly,  ninety percent of the team was playing in this tournament for the first time and will still be there next year so with the lessons we learnt we will go back to the drawing board and prepare for next year and hopefully do much better,” he said.

Yolwa was very impressed with the eventual winners, Clapham High School. “They were so tactically and technically astute. The team is organised they attack and defend together as a team. That’s what we need to start implementing in our side,” he said.

The Ndamase boys were very nervous when they had to play their first game against Benny’s Sports, Yolwa says, and they lost 9-0. “I was watching from the stands and could see that the team wasn’t listening to the coach and following his instructions and it showed blatantly on the field. In our second game, although we lost, our defenders were tight and strong, we didn’t leave any room for the opposition to score more goal than the one they scored. Where we were lacking was in our strike force. We need to focus on this if we want to improve. We scored no goals in the first 2 days which is not good at all. Further, the players need to unite and play as a team as opposed to individuals.  I saw a lot from other teams and will look at this going forward.”

Yolwa says the level of football at the tournament is excellent. “The fact that some of the schools are academies made the tournament interesting and challenging.”  Ndamase admits his school was at a disadvantage because their coach, Ndoyisile Poswa, is a local lawyer who volunteered to coach the team. “He has no qualifications and does this for the love of the game. He helps us a lot, even purchasing 2 balls that are now used for the entire school.  He also pays for the transport when our team competes in away games,” Yolwas explained.

Ndamase School does not have a soccer field, but train and practise in the school yard. They don’t have goal posts and make goals from any materials they can find lying around.  “We will continue to play in this tournament and hopefully the lessons we learnt from the academy schools will help us win the provincial finals next year. The boys are fully aware of the prize money on offer and the difference it can make to the school,” Yolwa said.

“We really appreciated being in the national finals and playing against such strong teams. It will help our entire village as we will go back and show every school what we learnt.

RESULTS: DAY 1 (24 September 2013)

Sibongumusa 0 vs Executive Academy 1, Goal: Sive Klaushe

Ndamase 0 vs Benny’s Care 9. Goals: Matuka Kabota (2), Khuliso Mudau, Eethe Khaukanani (3), Lfentswe Mungadziwa, Alton Lesedi, own goal

Cloetesville 4 vs Executive Academy 1. Goals: Cloetesville: Antonio Lewis (2), Curvin Williams, Jason Clayton (captain). Executive Academy: A: Zolani Malahla

Ndamase 0 vs Eric Nxumalo 1. Goal: Fumani Mathebula

Welabasha 0 vs Executive Academy 1. Goal: Siphiwe Giften

RESULTS: DAY 2 (25 September 2013)

Okiep 1 vs Ndamase 0. Goal: Duncan Vd Heever

Executive Academy 1 vs Rosina Sedibane 1. Goals: Executive Academy: Zolani Malahla; Rosina Sedibane: Skhumbuzo Mazibuko

East High 6 v Ndamase 0. Goals: Muzi Thabotha (2), Siyabonga Sibiya (3), Bojosi Manjoe

Executive Academy 0 v Mondale 2. Goals: Dillan Fransch (2)

Louis Botha 6 v Ndamase 0. Goals: Boipelo Segwaba (4), Ernest Mabathoana, Phatsimo Litseho

RESULTS: DAY 3 (26 September 2013)

Pos 9 – 12: Eric Nxumalo 2 vs Executive Academy 0. Goals: Funani Mathabela, Sydney Moyane

Pos 13 – 16: Sebetwane 1 vs Ndamase 1. Ndamase won 3 – 2 on penalties. Goals: Sebetwane: Tshepiso Lobelo. Ndamase: Ayakha Stamp

Pos 11 – 12: Rietvale 1 vs Executive Academy 1. Rietvale won 4 – 2 on penalties. Goals: Rietvlei: Angelo Van Rooi, Executive Academy: Bonga Klaushe

Pos 13 – 14: FK Tjiane 1 vs Ndamase 0. Goal: Dumisani Shongwe

FREE STATE SCHOOLS DO WELL IN SANLAM KAY MOTSEPE SCHOOLS CUP

It was a Second and fourth place finish for the Free State schools in the national finals of the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, that took place at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban last week.  Louis Botha Technical High School from Bloemfontein finished in second place and Harmony High School (Virginia) ended in fourth place.  This means that, of the R3.4 million in total prize money, R1.6 will go to the province, making it the second most successful province in the tournament, behind Gauteng .

This was Louis Botha’s first national final experience, losing 2-1 to Pretoria’s Clapham High School in the final. They breezed through the pool stages of the competition, beating Okiep 2-0, Eric Nxumalo 4-0, East High 1-0 and Ndamase 6-0 ending the pool drawing with Benny’s Sports 1-1.

In the quarterfinals they beat Mondale on penalties, after the scores were locked on 1-all at the end of extra time, followed by a 1-0 win over Rosina Sedibane 0 in the semis to get to the finals.

There were some individual honours for the team - Ofentse Motlhanke was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament, and coach, Prins Soni, was named the Best Coach of the tournament.

Louis Botha won R100 000 as provincial champions and an added R600 000 for second place overall and  Harmony, the most successful school in the tournament to date, get R400 000.

Team manager, Norman Ngomba, says the standard of football at the national finals was exceptional. “The regional and provincial level was what we are accustomed to, but what we saw at the national finals was completely different, it took us by surprise,” he said.

The toughest game, according to Ngomba, was the final against Clapham. “They were so tactical and organised. They played with a cool head and even when we shut down their star, Percy Tau, they did not seem to flinch.”

The coach said they went into the tournament with the view of using it as a learning curve for next year.
“Our strategy was not to put pressure on the boys,” he said. “And our result was way beyond what we expected. It sure was a learning curve and we learnt something different from every school.  For example,  Rosina was a team that was united, they played simple football which worked for them, they play excellent one touch football; Modale High played a different style of play, they were more tactical, which is how I want us to be; and Clapham had everything, tactical and technical ability and experience. Their players belong to the Mamelodi Sundowns Academy and I believe they get a chance to play against the first team once a month, such experience is what we were competing against.”

Ngomba says that playing in front of Sundowns president Patrice Mr Motsepe, was something they will never forget. “All the players admire him, and the work that he is doing, not just for football but also in the arts and culture as well as in business,” he said.

He is also full of praise for Sanlam, the tournament sponsors. “I hope they continue to sponsor the tournament as they have added so much to it since they came on board in 2010. It has grown into a much sought after tournament. I now have insight into insurance and am definitely getting life insurance in the near future. I want to make sure that if something happens to me, my family is well looked after.”

The coach vows to be back again next year, and is already preparing the team.