Gauteng school hopes to repeat their Danone Nations Cup past success

Johannesburg’s Bree Primary School will always be remembered as the school that won an under-12 Danone Nations Cup world title for South Africa.

In 2010 they won the world finals at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, after the previous year’s tournament in Brazil was held over because of the worldwide outbreak of H1N1 influenza (swine flu). So, they are the official 2009 Danone Nations Cup world champions, and they represented South Africa in the 2008 world finals in France as well.

They will be trying to relive those glory days this year and the first step will be on Saturday 14^th June at Reiger Park’s WJ Clements Stadium when they play in the Gauteng provincial finals of the competition. Games kick-off at 9am.  Gauteng is the final province to host their finals with the nine provincial winners going on to compete in the national finals on 28 June to determine the school to represent South Africa at the World Finals in Brazil.

Bree Primary School’s principal Devanand Kalicharran is also the team’s manager. He recalls 2010 fondly. “We were happy that we won this prestigious tournament at home with our supporters cheering us on. The Danone Nations Cup changed the lives of the 2008 and 2009 players; travelling abroad, being in newspapers, doing interviews, meeting our legendary past president, Mr Nelson Mandela and meeting kids from all around the world showed them they can achieve anything that they want to achieve in life,” he said.

Kalicharran puts the success of those teams down to hard work. “You need to work hard in order to obtain maximum results and that’s what the 2008 and 2009 teams did,” he said. “Both teams were made up of determined individuals who wanted to bring change to the school and I guess sharing the same goal made it possible for us to win even though it was not easy.”

Kalicharran says he tries to keep in touch with some of those players. Some are still studying at high school and others are at university. “Our captain of the winning team in 2009 was Njabulo Magubane who is currently studying and he plays for the South African under- 19 team.  He regularly comes to the school and helps us with coaching. He does motivational talks with the students, especially with the aspiring soccer players at the school,” Kalicharran said.

The current Bree Primary team has been groomed since 2012 and have done well so far this year. “Playing in the districts was tough but we managed to pull through all those games,” Kalicharran said. “We need to focus on our strikers and mid fielders, they need to create more chances and score goals. I believe that they are capable of repeating what the 2008 and 2009 teams did.”

Bafana Dlamini, who coached the 2009 world champion team, is still in charge of the team. “The team’s progress has been due to his excellent coaching skills and he strongly believes that this team could well win the title for the school, ´ said Kalicharran. “We are both very passionate about soccer and about making a difference in the lives of these boys. That’s why we enter this tournament because we know that it will have a huge impact in their lives and on their soccer careers.”

Kalicharran is reluctant to single out individual players. “The entire team is brilliant; I can’t single out one specific player as they play as a united front. I appreciate their dedication, they are young but their attitude is that of professional players.”

The schools participating in the Gauteng provincial finals are:

Bree Primary School-Johannesburg South region

Lotus Primary School- Tshwane West region

Sihluziwe Primary-Gauteng North region

Sonqoba Primary-Ekurhuleni South region

Faramere Primary-Ekurhuleni North region

Matlhasedi Primary-Gauteng West

Arcon Park Primary-Sedibeng East

Nationwide Primary-Johannesburg South

Danone Partners:

Gauteng North to hold Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup District Qualifiers

Chipa-Tabane Secondary School will, for the second year in succession, be playing in the under-19 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup district qualifiers taking place at the Steve Bikoville Secondary School in Korana Gardens Hammanskraal, on Saturday June 7.

According to coach, Hosea Digashu, the team has been training hard in preparation for the district finals and he believes they are physically and mentally prepared for the challenge.  “Training is more intense now and we are focusing on passing and dribbling skills.  We want to dominate in every game and have ball possession all the time,” he said.

The school won the Gauteng North district qualifiers in 2013 but were beaten by Rosina Sedibane at the inter district finals and according to Digashu, they are ready for them this time around should they meet them again. “They were tough competition last year and we didn’t stand a chance against their Supersport Academy players,” he said. “But every year is different with players moving on and new ones coming in and this could be our year.”  Chipa-Tabane’s dream could well be a reality now that Supersport has withdrawn their players from Rosina.

Digashu has no formal coaching qualifications and has been researching on how to improve his knowledge and skills. “I believe that it’s made a huge difference in how I coach, I’m more aware of the teams’ opinions and I give them platform to express themselves now.”

He says they are expecting tough competition at the district finals. “We are used to playing against these schools and we know their style of play. So far it’s been easy, but the real competition will start on Saturday.”

The team will be missing some of its best players who will be away at initiation school on Saturday. “That will be a major problem for us. I had to make changes and I’m hoping that they will pay off come Saturday.  Our biggest weakness will be in the striking department.”

According to Digashu, Steve Bikoville Secondary will be the team to beat on Saturday.  “They have 4 players that are part of the Tuks development team in the under-15 and under-17 division and others attended Mamelodi Sundowns trials last year.”

The participating schools in the Gauteng North District Finals are:

Chipa-Tabane Secondary School - Cullinan district

Ekangala Comprehensive School - Ekangala district

Lingitjhudu Secondary School - Ekangala district

Steve Bikoville Secondary School – Cullinan district

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.

CSA names Nokuzola Javu KFC Mini-Cricket Coach of the Year

From an exceptional pool of dedicated individuals getting kids active around South Africa, Nokuzola Javu from the Eastern Cape has been named as the 2013/14 KFC Mini-Cricket Coach of the Year at the prestigious Cricket South Africa (CSA) Awards which took place on Wednesday, 4 June 2014.

“Looking back on another successful and highly active season of KFC Mini-Cricket, we are proud that not only the number of participants, but also the unique opportunities to get active have substantially increased. Awarding the coach of the Year award to Nokuzola perfectly highlights how dedicated and committed coaches from around the country are taking this programme from strength to strength,” commented Lauren Turnbull, CSI and Sponsorship Manager of KFC South Africa.

KFC Mini-Cricket gives kids of all ages and abilities the chance to get active, even those that are differently abled, physically or intellectually. Nokuzola is a grade 3 teacher at the Mzamonhle Special School in Uitenhage, a school she felt compelled to teach at when offered a position there 15 years ago. It is at Mzamonhle that she was introduced to the power and joy of sport, and more specifically KFC Mini-Cricket.

Due to the environment of the Mzamonhle Special School, its KFC Mini-Cricket programme is used as a tool to get the kids active, and help them develop confidence and a positive attitude. This presented a unique set of challenges, as the differently abled learners had to play against kids from more conventional backgrounds, which naturally affected Nokuzola’s learners. However Nokuzola’s determination and drive to get her kids active inspired Cricket South Africa and the Eastern Province Cricket Union to create a special group for LSEN schools to compete with each other, in an initiative that saw Nokuzola become its director in the Eastern Cape.

Transport was another challenge which Nokuzola had to face. As the LSEN schools in the Eastern Cape are located quite far apart, and with pupils often finishing their school days at different times depending on their individual needs, it was decided that all matches would be played in Port Elizabeth on a fortnightly basis.

By hosting these unique KFC Mini-Cricket festivals for LSEN schools at one dedicated venue, the challenge of transport was solved as LSEN schools were able to share transport and set aside specific time as a group for this exciting outing. This has not only provided a greater structure for participation, but also ensured that more kids in the Eastern Cape are regularly getting active by playing a game that they love.

Nokuzola, a mother herself, has also seen Siyabulela Mantewa, one of her young Mzamonhle learners, progress through the cricketing ranks to make the Proteas intellectually impaired team. Siyabulela’s achievements are testament to both the effectiveness and impact of the KFC Mini-Cricket programme and the talented effort and dedication of Nokuzola.

Lauren Turnbull, CSI & Sponsorship Manager of KFC South Africa comments, “With over 107 000 kids from across the country actively involved in KFC Mini-Cricket, this number will only continue to grow as more and more kids are benefiting from the work of dynamic and committed teachers and coaches like Nokuzola.”

When receiving her award, Nokuzola was quick to acknowledge and thank Naziera Jafta, Landiwe Ndongane and Timothy Rennick, who had assisted her in organising transport, branding, fixtures and promoting KFC Mini-Cricket at their schools.

David Mokopanele, Youth Cricket Officer from Cricket South Africa concludes, “Nokuzola has managed to uplift the lives of numerous kids in the Eastern Cape. She is a role model for the rest of the country and a shining example that regardless of your ability or background, getting active with KFC Mini-Cricket is something that all kids in South Africa can look forward to and be a part of. We are so proud to have her as our Mini-Cricket Coach of the Year.”

Lukhanyo Primary School to represent Western Cape at the Danone Nations Cup

Lukhanyo Primary School, of Hermanus in the Overberg district, is the 2014 Western Cape provincial champions in the under-12 Danone Nations Cup competition. They beat Koekenaap Primary 1-0 in the final last Saturday to qualify for a spot in the national finals in Boksburg on 28 June and, with it, a chance to challenge for a trip to Brazil to play in the Danone Nations Cup world finals.

Michael Manqola, the team’s manager, is proud of his team’s achievements. “We were knocked out in the provincial finals in 2012 and it has taken us another two years, but we have got here again – and this time we are the provincial champions.”

Striker and team captain, Zolani Ngcambu was the hero of the day on Saturday.  “I hope there are some scouts at the national finals as this youngster deserves to get into an academy,” he said.  “He scored 6 goals in four games leading up to the provincial finals and took 2 penalties at the provincials to help us win through to the final.  He is a determined young boy with good leadership qualities.”

The team did not start well on the day, said Ngcambu.  Firstly, for all the boys it was their first time they spent a night in a hotel.  “I was surprised at how unsettled the boys were.  They didn’t sleep well and the day started off slowly.  They are all new to the tournament so felt a bit intimidated by seasoned professionals like Cloetesville Primary who are known in Cape Town as the top football school.” Ngcambu credited his young captain for the way he stepped up to the plate and helped ease the nerves of his fellow team mates and gave them encouragement to get the nerves under control.

Manqola will be focusing on motivating the team leading up to the nationals.  “The Nationals will be a completely different ball game and we need to start the day with guns blazing so my focus for the next couple of weeks will be to get the kids excited.  We need to be a united front from the beginning until the end and in that way we leave no gap for the opposition to counter attack us,” he said.

Manqola is encouraging his players to make friends with other players from different provinces at the national final and enjoy every minute.  “They know Johannesburg as the biggest city where everything happens and they are looking forward to the adventure.  No matter what happens at the national final, the boys will get to experience the fast pace of the city and will take home with them treasured memories.”

But the prize of a trip to play in the World Finals is definitely worth fighting for. “We just need to remain focused, and make sure that we cover all our bases on the field and we will take it one game at a time.”

Western Cape Provincial Finals Results

Koekenaap PS 1 vs Cloetesville PS 0

Ysterplaat PS 0 vs PJ Badenhorst PS 0 PJ Badenhorst won on penalties

Lukhanyo PS 1 (3) v Teske MPS 1 (2)

Koekenaap PS 0 vs Ysterplaat PS 0 Ysterplaat won on penalties

Cloetesville PS 0 vs PJ Badenhorst PS 0 Cloetesville won on penalties

Lukhanyo PS 1 vs Koekenaap PS 0

Teske MPS 1 vs Ysterplaat PS 0

Cloetesville PS 0 vs Lukhanyo PS 0 Lukhanyo won on penalties

PJ Badenhorst PS 0 vs Koekenaap PS 0 Koekenaap won on penalties

Teske MPS 0  vs Cloetesville PS 0 Teske MPS won on penalties

Ysterplaat PS 2 vs Lukhanyo PS 0

Teske MPS 3 vs PJ Badenhorst PS 0

Cloetesville PS 1 vs Ysterplaat PS 0

Koekenaap PS 1 vs Teske MPS 0

PJ Badenhorst PS 1  vs Lukhanyo PS 1 Lukhanyo won on penalties

Final - Koekenaap Primary 0 vs Lukhanyo Primary 1