Caley to represent Eastern Cape at the Danone Nations Cup National Finals

Caley Junior Secondary School from Butterworth in the Amathole District, are the Eastern Cape provincial champions in the under-12 Danone Nations Cup soccer competition and they will be travelling to Gauteng on the 28^th June to represent their province in the national finals. The prize for the ultimate winner is a trip to Brazil to play against 31 other countries in the Danone Nations Cup world finals.

Caley beat Hombakzai Primary School from the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, 4 – 3 on penalties in the provincial final after the sides were goalless at the end of the game.

This is just the third time that school has entered the competition.  In 2012 Caley were knocked out in the provincial finals and last year they did not make it past the regional stage.

According to coach, Malibongwe Masekwana this is what the school has been waiting for since 2012. “There is no other competition at this age group like the Danone Nations Cup,” he said.  “Our kids are from very poor areas and therefore don’t get the opportunity to experience competitive football and as an added bonus to travel outside their home town.  Now they are off to Gauteng to compete in the national finals, an opportunity that the kids need to broaden their minds and get them to understand that there is a whole wide world out there filled with opportunities. I have heard how kids have changed from their experiences in this competition.”

Masekwana also believes the Danone Nations Cup is a very good example of how hard work and good preparation pays off.  “We have been training hard as well as practicing penalty shoot out’s, which has helped build confidence amongst the players.  We are well equipped to tackle the national final pressure.”

A key player for the team is goal keeper, Chulumanga Sanda and defender, Nkosikho Ndandani.

“Chulumanga was impressive, quick with his eyes and that’s why we never conceded a goal in the provincial finals,” Masekwana said.  “And Nkosikho held his position well on the field and never allowed the opposition to counter attack, he managed the backline very well.”

Masekwana has a level 1 coaching qualification and has attended a few coaching clinics. “Having a qualification is ideal and it gives us an upper advantage over coaches that don’t have. Soccer is a scientific sport and one needs to be better equipped when it comes to teaching a player the basics of defending and attacking,” he said. “It also depends on your players. If they understand your philosophy then it makes your job as a coach much easier.”

He has no illusions about the task that lies ahead at the national finals. “Every province will be fighting very hard to be number one,” he said. “We are not putting any pressure on the boys. They must play with dignity and if we don’t make it that is fine, we have next year to prepare for.”

Results

Mntonintshi 2 vs.  Sterkspruit 0

Caley 0 (3) vs. Usenathi 0 (2)

Lukholo 2 vs Bhongweni 0

Mntonintshi 0 (3) vs.  Caley 0 (4)

Sterkspruit 0 vs Usenathi 2

Bhongwen 0 (9) vs Hombakazi 0 (8)

Usenathi 0 (2) vs. Mntonintshi 0 (1)

Caley 2 vs Sterkspruit 0

Hombakazi 1vs Lukholo 0

Final

Caley JSS 0 (4) vs Hombakazi 0 (3)

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Gauteng Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup games begin at cluster level

The under-19 Sanlam Kay Motsepe School Cup soccer competition is well under way, with the first of the district level playoffs due to start soon.  This year the Department of Education has come on board which has boosted the registration numbers to record levels. And with R3.4 million on offer in prize money, the competition is heating up as schools strive to win a slice of the pie to use to enhance their school to benefit, not only the learners, but the community at large.

Games are currently being played at cluster level, progressing through to the district and regional levels with the provincial finals kicking off in August.

Among the schools busy with cluster matches at the moment is Lesedi Secondary School of the Gauteng North, Cullinan Cluster.

Their coach, Vincent Mashego is a former sports journalist who has returned to teaching because he wants to make a difference in the lives of his students. “I went back to teaching because it’s my passion and seeing my students succeed is rewarding for me.  I want to nurture these young boys, I teach them soccer and career skills and mentor them because I have been involved in sports, particularly in soccer, and I have seen how many young players destroy their careers,” he said.

The challenge in coaching young players, Mashego said, is that they don’t know the basics of the game. “My challenge in coming back to teaching soccer is that I assumed that the players are in the first team so they would know everything. But to my surprise most players don’t know the basics of soccer. So, every year we start with the basics. I don’t want to end up teaching them basics when we are in the middle of a tournament.”

It’s early days in the competition – Lesedi has only played 2 games so far – but Mashego is determined to go far with this team. “We have never moved further than the cluster games in this tournament before, but this team is fired up and ready to make an impact on this tournament this year.”

The team is made up of a mix of new and old players and Mashego believes the new players will rise to the occasion and reach the expected level in the tournament. “This year we want to reach the provincial final. We are not in a hurry to win this tournament yet, we are still developing the team and familiarising ourselves with the competition and gaining the experience.  The boys must just focus on training and developing their mental attitudes and individual games.”

The coach understands that academy sides are starting to dominate the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup. “The academies have qualified coaches, and top of the range exercise equipment but that does not determine how great a player can be on the field.  Ordinary schools have the same chance of winning this tournament as the academies do. They must just be well prepared, determined and willing to go the extra mile in training.”

Mpumalanga School causes upset at U-12 Danone Nations Cup Provincial Finals

Witbank’s Johannes Kananda Primary School is the new Mpumalanga Danone Nations Cup provincial champion.  They earned the title after defeating 2013 national champions, Daniye Primary School,    2 – 0 in the final that took place at the Mhluzi Stadium in Middleburg this past weekend.

J Kananda will now join eight other provincial winners at the national finals taking place at the Reiger Park Stadium in Boksburg on 28 June, where coach, Kabu Thebyane is hoping that his school will repeat what Daniye did last year and win the trip to represent South Africa at the World Finals.  This year the trip is to Brazil later this year.

“We prepared long enough for the provincials and winning was our first goal and now for the finals,” Thebyane said. “The team was called up at school assembly on Monday and they enjoyed the recognition they received, but now it’s back to hard work.”

“Winning the provincial title is a fantastic achievement for my youngsters, but we still need to prove ourselves in Gauteng against the eight other provinces. We know the competition will be tough, but I believe in my team and what’s important is that they also believe in themselves too.”

Thebyane said he is going to call on a few experienced coaches that he knows to help with their preparations. He will also arrange practice matches against club teams. “In the past I have organised games against older teams and they have proven to me that they can play against any team,” he said. “We don’t know what to expect in Gauteng so that’s why I have to cover all bases.”

Siphesihle Masina, an 11 year-old midfielder, is one of the team’s key players. Siphesihle’s love for the game began by watching matches on TV and playing with his friends in the street. “I taught myself how to play and last year I attended trails at the school and the coach chose me to be part of the team and he said that he saw potential in me,” he said.

“It’s my first time competing in this tournament and I thought that the games went very well and I got an opportunity to  interact with other teams even though I was intimidated at first.” Siphesihle describes the goal he scored against Daniye in the provincial final as exciting. “Scoring that goal made me realise that I should not be intimidated by them, I can play soccer as well as they can,” he said.

“We came into the provincial finals with a goal and we made sure that we achieved that goal, we saw last year’s winners Daniye in newspapers and radio stations were talking about them, We also want to experience that,” said young Siphesihle.

“Our coach Mr Thebyane told us that the competition is going to be extremely tough going forward. I am nervous because I don’t know what to expect in Gauteng, but I told myself that I will play like I have been playing and put more effort in training. My teammates and I are going to do our best to make sure that we win the nationals.”

Competing Schools

Nkangala District - Kananda Primary

Bohlabela District - Daniye Primary

Ehlanzeni District - Tenteleni Primary

Gert Sibande District - Nqobile Primary

Results

Daniye 1 (2) vs. J Kananda 1 (3)

Nqobile 1 vs. Tenteleni 0

Nqobile 0 (3) vs. Daniye 0 (1)

J Kananda 0 vs. Tenteleni 2

Tenteleni 0 vs. Daniye 1

J Kananda 1 vs. Nqobile 0

Final

Daniye 0 vs. J Kananda 2

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Eastern Cape To Host Danone Nations Cup provincial final

The Eastern Cape under-12 Danone Nations Cup provincial finals take place on Saturday 24^th May at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in East London, and among the seven contenders vying for a place in the national finals of the competition, will be Lukholo Junior Secondary School from Mbizana, in the Alfred Nzo District.

This is the second time that the school is playing in the tournament and their coach, Zwelethu Mdedelwa, puts their success so far down to hard work, good preparation and believing in your dreams. “We have trained hard and that is what got us through,” He said. “I noticed the teams we competed against were not as well organised as we are.”

The team has played 12 games so far this season, and won all of them. Some of those victories were in penalty shootouts, but Mdedelwa says a win is a win and they have given the boys some good practice as penalties might decide some of the games at the provincial finals.

“The boys are eager and determined to win the Eastern Cape title this year, but I caution them that the competition at provincial level is a different story and we will be up against the best teams in our province,” Mdedelwa said.

“Last year was the first time we participated in the tournament and we managed to get to the provincial finals, but were knocked out in the final game by Nkumzimbini JSS, who went on to represent the Eastern Cape at the national finals. We were happy as it was our first time, and the boys played well.”

Lukholo will be fielding a completely new team this year as there is no-one back from last year. “We have a good team, but we need to improve on our passing skills, so that is the area we have been focusing on during the build up to the provincial finals,” Mdedelwa said.

The coach said the entire team has been responsible for them getting this far in the competition, but if he were to single out an individual, it would be the captain and left back, Siyabonga Zulu.

“He is alert and sharp at all times and has the ability to read his opponents and make the necessary moves. He has been an integral part of the team. I believe he should go into an academy next year to capitalise on his talents and not get lost in the clutter,” Mdedelwa said.

The team is training every day at the moment and they are asking the coach to extend the practices for an hour each day. “This shows their determination and passion and it’s good that they are showing initiative but training every day can also be counter-productive so I insist they take a day off once a week for recuperation.”

The possibility of a trip to Brazil to play in the Danone Nations Cup World Finals is a huge motivator for the boys, Mdedelwa said. “But I tell them that getting the ball into the back of the net is what will get them there.”

The national finals of the competition will take place at Reiger Park on Saturday, 28 June where the team that will represent South Africa at the World Finals in Brazil later this year will be determined.

ends

Participating Teams

Alfred Nzo	Lukholo JSS
OR Tambo	Mntonintshi Senior PS
Nelson Metro	Hombakazi PS
Joe Gqabi	Sterkspruit Combined School
Amathole	Caley PS
Chris Hani	Usenathi PS
Cacadu	Bhongweni PS