First timers win the Danone Nations Cup Gauteng Provincial Finals

Benoni’s Farrarmere Primary School became the ninth and final school to win their provincial title in the 2014 under-12 Danone Nations Cup soccer tournament when they beat Sonqoba Primary 2-1 in the final of the Gauteng provincial playoffs at the WJ Clements Stadium in Reiger Park last Saturday.

The win means that Farrarmere will join the other eight provincial champions for the national finals, at the same venue, on Saturday 28^th June. The winners on that day will take the national title and, with it, the chance to represent the nation at the Danone Nations Cup World Finals in Sao Paulo, Brazil in November.

The Gauteng provincial title is a fairy tale come true for Farrarmere. It was the first time they have competed in the competition and according to their coach, Jacques Martinaglia, it has been an awesome experience for the team. “Being our first experience in the tournament winning the provincials was never in our minds,” he said.  “We told ourselves that this year we want to learn and have fun as we didn’t know what to expect. Winning the provincials was a shock, but we are happy and excited that we won. We are proud of the entire team and a step closer to going to Brazil.”

Martinaglia is a qualified rugby coach, but he said that he just fell in love with soccer and decided to coach. He has since attended a few coaching clinics run by the Dutch by KNVB body and by SAFA and he has created his winning formula on what he learned there.

On the build up to the nationals the coach said, “We will be doing basic training and play one friendly game over the weekend. The nationals are going to be grueling and competitive. We are not putting pressure on the boys and we will be happy with whatever result we get.”

Striker Breidyn Schaper is the team’s star player.  His sterling performance caught the eye of the Mamelodi Sundowns scout that attended the tournament.

Breidyn has been playing soccer from the age of six and is following in his father, Shawn Schaper’s footsteps. The older Schaper played for Amazulu for a number of years. “He influenced me to play soccer. I want to start where he finished off and hopefully go further than he got,” Breidyn said.

Breidyn scored 5 goals during the provincial finals and is looking forward to more at the nationals. “I am hoping to score in every game, but I know it won’t be easy,” he said.  “The week before the nationals my dad and I are going to review my performance at the provincials and see what I need to improve on come the nationals.”

Results of the Gauteng Provincial Finals:

Arcon 1 vs Bree 1 (Arcon won on penalties)

Lotus 0 vs Farrarmere 2

Sonqoba 2 vs Sihluziwe 0

Mathlasedi 2 vs Nationwide 1

Arcon 0 vs Sonqoba 2

Lotus 4 vs Mathlasedi 1

Bree 2 vs Sihluziwe 0

Farrarmere 0 vs Nationwide 0 (Nationwide won on penalties)

Sihluziwe 0  vs Arcon 0 (Sihluziwe won on penalties)

Nationwide 1 vs Lotus 1 (Nationwide won on penalties)

Sonqoba 0 vs Bree 0 (Bree won on penalties)

Mathlasedi 0 vs Farrarmere 3

Final - Farrarmere 2 Sonqobo 1

The nine provincial champions are:

Roodepan Primary School (Kimberley) - Frances Bard district, Northern Cape

Siphumelele Primary School (Inanda) – Pinetown district, KwaZulu-Natal

Credo Primary School (Sasolburg) - Fezile Dabi district, Free State

Rev MP Malatjie Primary School (Seshego) - Capricorn district, Limpopo

Kgetleng Primary School (Swartruggens) -  Ngaka Modiri Molema district, North West

Johannes Kananda Primary School (Witbank) – Nkangala district, Mpumalanga

Caley Junior Secondary School (Butterworth) – Amathole district, Eastern Cape

Lukhanyo Primary School (Hermanus) – Overberg, Western Cape

Farrarmere Primary School (Benoni) – Ekurhuleni North district, Gauteng

KZN schools start qualifying for the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup provincial finals

Hillview Secondary School of Newlands East in Durban are the under-19 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Umlazi district winners and have qualified to play in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial finals, hoping to get the R100 000 that goes with winning the title.

The 2014 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup soccer tournament is well underway with a record 4 000 schools in action at cluster and regional levels.  All want to win a portion of the R3.4 million on offer in prize money.

Hillview will be participating in the tournament for the third time and this will be the second time they have come this far. “In 2012 we reached the provincial finals, but were knocked out, and last year we were knocked out early in the competition. Hopefully this year we will take it a step further and win through to the national finals, but I know this will not be easy,” said manager/coach, Ben Moodley.  He believes his team’s success to date this season is due to all players competing for local clubs in the community.

What has also driven the players to do well is the fact that they know that scouts attend the provincial finals and they know this will be their chance to be seen.  “None of them are with academies, but there are a couple that I believe have exceptional skills and could go far under correct coaching guidance,” said Moodley, who has no coaching qualifications and relies on reading books and watching soccer, either live or on television.

Over the past few years the tournament has been dominated by academies, but this does not worry Moodley. “We will tackle the academies like any other school,” he said.  “Every year it gets tougher and tougher to maintain your position in the tournament and this is purely due to sponsors such as Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation, together with the South African Schools Football Association, who provide the platform for schools to promote themselves so we all go that extra mile to improve the team to gain that competitive edge.”

The 2014 Hillview team consists mainly of new players, but they have four back from last year of which two will play a key role in the team.  “My striker and captain, Sabelo Mqune, and midfielder, Leon Abrahams are quick with their feet, and their passing skills are accurate. Their future in soccer is looking bright but they just need a little bit of grooming. They have been instrumental in the team’s

success in this tournament. Their experience is valuable because we have a number of under-17 players in the team.”

Fitness is key to the success of the team in the provincial finals believes Moodley.  “At the provincials we will be playing a lot of games on a day so the team’s fitness levels are crucial.  So, we have been doing sprints, power work, agility and speed training to ensure that the boys are fit enough for the tournament. I had to research exercise programs that focus entirely on fitness to make sure that happens.”

The first Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup provincial final will take place at the Giant Stadium in Soshanguve on Saturday, 2 August 2014. 

Powerade Schools Programme helps born sportsmen power through adversity and improve performance.

Powerade Schools Programme helps born sportsmen power through adversity and improve performance.

Whether it’s a game with professionals or a local school derby… There is Power in Every Game.

Passionate young soccer players from across South Africa can be part of the excitement of the 2014 FIFA World Cup® through Powerade’s There’s Power in Every Game campaign, aimed at assisting born sportsmen reach their ultimate sports goals through understanding effective conditioning and hydration.  It also aims to motivate them to power through adversity and inspire and motivate their team mates and community at large.

Globally, Powerade, the official sports drink of the 2014 FIFA World Cup®, unveiled the campaign featuring Andrés Iniesta, who memorably scored Spain’s winning goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Final.  In the campaign Iniesta shares his story of how he powered through his own challenges to achieve the highest level of success on the world’s biggest sporting stage. To watch the latest video click here.

In South Africa, the campaign will target where true born sportsmen are identified, and that is at school level, through the Powerade Schools Programme. 

In recognition of coaches being the key influencers within the school environment, Powerade kicked-off the local campaign with two coaches’ clinics that were run in partnership with the Dutch KNVB World Coaching Programme, one of the leading global soccer coaching programmes.

In total over 70 school soccer coaches attended the clinics, which were held in Pretoria and Stellenbosch.  Most of the coaches, whose first priority is education, have no formal coaching qualifications. At the clinics they were exposed to international best practices, the latest training information and given insights gathered and utilised by some of the best international soccer coaches from around the world.

The campaign, now entering its second phase, shifts focus back to born sportsmen as pupils from selected schools across the country stand the chance to win exclusive Powerade Performance Sessions in soccer, rugby and cricket for their school by participating in the Powerade Collect-a-Cap competition.

The Powerade Performance Session in soccer will be hosted by ex Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs captain, Neil Tovey. He, like Iniesta, knows the challenges that need to be tackled in order to play professionally and is well positioned to give aspiring players advice and support.

“We recognise that there is power in every game and through the Powerade Schools Programme, born sportsmen will be introduced to the science of correct training, proper nutrition and the benefits of hydration to help enable them to reach peak fitness at the right time. Whether it is a professional game in Maracana or a local schools derby, there is power in every game.” explained James Maclachlan, IMC Marketing Assets Manager of Coca-Cola South Africa.

“Through our Powerade Schools Programme we are bringing our 2014 FIFA World Cup® campaign to life by touching the lives of everyone that is involved in the careers of a soccer player. This campaign reflects Powerade’s commitment and ongoing support of born sportsmen by providing them with platforms to improve their sporting performances,” he concluded.

 About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands.  Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world's most valuable and recognizable brands, our Company's portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle.  Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks.  Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.9 billion servings a day.  With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused
on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate.  Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates.  For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.

About Powerade

Powerade is a brand of The Coca-Cola Company, and is available in 70 markets, including Australia, USA, Canada, Great Britain, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Spain and South Africa.  Powerade combines carbohydrates, electrolytes with fluids for energy and hydration.  It quenches thirst and replenishes minerals and carbohydrates lost during sports or other intense activities.  In most markets, Powerade is scientifically formulated with the ION4® Advanced Electrolyte System, which helps replenish 4 key electrolytes lost in sweat: Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, & Magnesium

Champions, Clapham, win through to the under-19 Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Inter district finals

Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup defending champions Clapham High School are safely through to the inter district stage of this year’s competition after winning the Tshwane North district finals.

While team manager, Johannes Petje, is happy with the way the tournament is progressing, he cautions that there are a couple of areas that need to be improved upon prior to the inter district finals, taking place on 24 and 25 July. “The team is a balance between new and old players,” he said. “We are tactically more advanced than other schools, but still need to adjust to playing four games in one day as we do in the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup.”

Petje admits that most schools are nervous when they play against Clapham as they are the champions, but says the games have been challenging.

There are a number of players; Petje believes could shine in the competition.  “Sihle Mbhele (midfielder), Motsi Matima (midfielder) and Ntando Ngubane (striker), are all part of the Sundowns Academy team and are players to watch out for,” he said.

“Then there is Siphelele Khebetsi, who has been exceptional this year.  “He is a striker that makes things happen.  He holds the team together and is a very influential player. His style of play is similar to Percy Tau and I predict he will make waves in this tournament.”

Added to those players are some recruited into the school team after the Mamelodi Sundowns camp at the end of last year. “Tami Mpusana and Ofentse Motlhanke were both from Louis Botha, Kableo Mabasa from Harmony High and Jason Skippers from Cloetesville have joined our team this year,” Petje said. “Their performance is great, they are doing the team proud and I hope that they continue doing so,”

Rhulani Mokoena is still the head coach of the team, and they have added an assistant coach in Mike Manzini, a former footballer for Mamelodi Sundowns. “He brings in his expertise and knowledge,” Petje said. “I believe that he and Rhulani together make a great team and they will take the current squad to new heights.”

The partnership between the school and Mamelodi Sundowns has benefited the school immensely says Petje. “Since they have come on board it has had a positive effect on every sporting codes as all kids want to excel in their  respective sports and they also want recognition just like the soccer team had last year. It has boosted participation in sport this year.”

Clapham won the R1.1 million 2013 first prize, as well as R100 000 as provincial champions, and are currently finalising their wish lists on how they want to spend their winnings.

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.