Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Provincial Finals Kick-Off in Free State

The under-19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation, has reached the provincial final stage with Free State hosting the first.  The final will take place at HTS Louis Botha High School in Bloemfontein at 9am on Saturday, 8 August.

There is plenty at stake as the winners of each of the provincial titles will get R100 000 to spend on educational and sporting projects at their schools, and the top two sides in each province will go through to the national finals in October where there will be even more funding up for grabs, including a whopping R1million for the eventual overall winning school.

There will be six schools vying for the Free State provincial title on Saturday.  The occasion will double up as a legacy project hand-over ceremony for the host school. HTS Louis Botha won the Free State title in 2013, and came second at the national finals that year, for which they were granted R600 000 in funding.

On Saturday the school will take official possession of the ablution block, change rooms and tuck shop that they built with the R700 000 in total funding they were given.

The teams participating in the Free State finals are: Grey College-Motheo District, HTS Louis Botha-Motheo District, Concordia High School-Lejweleputswa District, Dr Reginald Cingo Secondary School- Fezile Dabi District, Manthatisi High School-Thabo Mofutsanyane District and Ikanyekgeng Combined School-Xhariep District

As the Motheo District is hosting the finals, there are two schools from there in the finals – the hosts, HTS Louis Botha, and Grey College.

Ludwig Koekemoer, Grey College, sports coordinator, is thrilled that after four years of participating in the competition, they have finally made it to the provincial finals.

“Last year we got knocked out at the regional finals stage and this year we vowed to move a step further in the tournament and the team did exactly that,” he said. “We have been working hard for this from the beginning of the season and have done well in the competition.”

Grey played 15 games in the tournament this year and have scored 34 goals and conceded 6. Koekemoer said. “The team is disciplined, we are fortunate to be working with a group of boys that are so focused and determined.”

As this is their first time in the finals, Koekemoer said they don’t know exactly what to expect, but they do know it will be very competitive.

“We played against HTS in the regional final game and they beat us 2-1, they have beaten us a number of times this season and have a very strong team with players affiliated to Bloemfontein Celtic so they are used to playing at a high level. But with that said, it does not mean we will go down without a fight. We will take each game as it comes, with no pressure imposed on the players.”

Grey has a good all-round team this year, Koekemoer said, but the singles out 2 exceptional players. “Musa Rampa is a brilliant striker who has scored 12 goals so far; and goalkeeper Karl Steenkamp, is a young player with plenty of talent. I believe the talent scouts that I believe will be at the provincial finals will be impressed.”

The dates and venues of the provincial finals are:

8th August  Free State - HTS Louis Botha (Bloemfontein) 10th August Gauteng - Nike Centre (Soweto) 15th August Eastern Cape- Walmer High School (Port Elizabeth) 22nd August Limpopo - Mahwelereng Stadium (Mokopane) 29th August Northern Cape -Robert Gunda Stadium (Upington) 5th September Western Cape -Nyanga Stadium (Cape Town) 12th September North West - Montshiwa Stadium (Mahikeng) 19th September KZN - Northdale Stadium (Pietermaritzburg) 26th September Mpumalanga - Kanyamazane Stadium (Nelspruit) 5th to 10th October National Finals – Nike Centre (Soweto).

Sundowns scout praises young Danone Nations Cup goalkeeper

Bree Primary School, who will be representing South Africa in the Danone Nations Cup world finals in Morocco in October, will be taking with them a gifted Goalkeeper, Mncedisi Nguse.  According to Mamelodi Sundowns scout, Mandla Mazibuko this youngster will make a positive contribution to the team.  

“Overall the team has pretty good players, but Mncedisi is one special keeper.  He has pure natural talent and with great coaching and having him in a good development structure I can see him playing for the national team one day,” said Mazibuko, who attended all the provincial finals as well as the national finals of the tournament.

Mncedisi comes from a family of great footballers.  “My older brother Njabulo Nguse, who is also a goalkeeper like me, is part of the Orlando Pirates development academy,” said a proud Mncedisi.

The youngster’s football career started in the streets of Soweto.  It was while he was playing informally with his friends that he was approached by Nkosinathi Motlale, coach of Protea Glen FC who recruited him into the team. 

Then at the beginning of the year, at a friendly game between Protea Glen Stars and Mavi Stars, the Bree Primary coach, Bafana Dlamini invited the youngster to join the school.

“They spoke to my grandmother Lindiwe Nguse, who is my guardian, and they told her how good a goalkeeper I am and that Bree Primary School would like to offer me a full scholarship,” Mncedisi said. “My grandmother knows how much I love soccer and how important it is to me, so she immediately agreed to allow me to change schools and attend Bree.”

He started at Bree in February and adjusted easily. “Bree is a very good school and since I started there my grades have improved a lot. I have made friends.  Every one now knows me at the school especially now that we won the Danone Nations Cup. My team mates and I have become very popular at the school.  

Bree Principal, Mr Kalicharan, introduced Mncedisi to the Danone Nations Cup.  “We all know that the team won in 2009 and we decided we would go all out to try and do the same this year.  The provincial finals were a great experience, but the nationals took the cake. It was my first time playing against schools from other provinces and I had a great time meeting all of them. Before the final game against Nelson Mandela Primary Mr Kalicharan had a talk with me and prepared me mentally.  He used to be a goalkeeper and he knows the pressures that goalkeepers face during the game.”

When he learned that he will be going to Morocco the first people Mncedisi told were his grandmother and brother. “My gran is the most excited and also scared for me because she is scared of aeroplanes and flying. My brother, on the other hand, wishes it was him going to Morocco because he has never travelled internationally before.”

The team is hard at work preparing for the world finals and Mncedisi is getting special attention from Mr Kalicharan. “He has been telling me how different it is at international level. He told me that we will play against players that are very tall and that can aim very well, I need to maintain my cool and keep my eye on the ball at all times,” he said. “He also stressed the importance of communication, it is very important for a goalkeeper to communicate with your team at all times.

At home the youngster is also getting help from his brother.  “It helps that he is a goalkeeper as well so we get to share ideas and he teaches me a lot about catching high balls and low balls and how to distribute the ball.”

Bree, as former winners of the world title, know how important it is to represent the country well in Morocco, Mncedisi said. “I tell my team mates that we should be proud of ourselves for achieving what we have achieved. The big step now is the world finals, because Bree won in 2009 we are under a lot of pressure to win this year but we should not let that get to us.”

Mncedisi is adamant that professional soccer lies in his future. “I see myself being a part of development academy and going on to play professionally,” he said. “But I also want to study and become a lawyer, I love working with people and I enjoy helping people out with their problems.”

About Danone

Danone Southern Africa is part of the Danone Group, one of the fastest-growing food companies in the world.  Danone is present in over 120 countries across all continents. With 160 plants and around 100,000 employees, the Danone Group is the number one worldwide for Fresh Dairy Products. Danone’s mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible.

One of the core values of the Danone Nations Cup tournament is to encourage young people to believe in their dreams. Through this initiative Danone offers a sporting event that reaches out to and inspires millions of children all over the world

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Bloemfontein Celtic Academy players boost HTS Louis Botha in the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Regional finals

The Motheo regional finals in the under-19 Kay Motsepe Schools Cup competition take place at Bloemfontein’s HTS Louis Botha on Saturday 1st August, with the winner and runner-up going through to the Free State provincial finals happening a week later (8^th August) at the same venue.

A school that is not new to the tournament is HTS Louis Botha, having finished in second position in 2013, and will be back in action again on Saturday.  Coach, Prince Sani said they are happy to have made it this far, but are focussed on the next step – the Free State provincial finals – and, beyond that, the nationals.

“Last year we didn’t even reach this level, so the boys want to prove to themselves that they have grown over the year,” he said. “Most of the players are in grade 12, so winning this tournament will be a good way to exit their final school year.”

The school is now affiliated to Bloemfontein Celtic FC, forming part of the club’s Youth Development Academy. “Now the boys have to work twice as hard because there might be possible signings for the 1st team,” Sani said.

“Already, Teboho Khasipe has signed a 3 year contract with the Celtic 1st team , although he is currently on loan to Roses United FC, and we have Tebogo Qinisile who plays for the SA u17 national side and who has been signed by the club.”

The school has done very well so far this year. There are more schools in the Bloemfontein cluster now, Sani explains, which has meant more games, and they have won all of them.

“We always welcome new schools and look forward to competing and getting our boys used to playing,” he said. “The more games we play the better for us, more games mean more exposure and better preparation.”

There have been no special preparations for the regional finals. They have been working as a team since the cluster games began and have not lost a single match in about 10 to 15 games played so far.

“The boys are proving to me and everyone that they are going to reach and win the national finals,” Sani said. “The first hurdle is the regional finals, but we are not that worried about those games. We have home ground advantage and the crowd will be rooting for us. All we need to do is not disappoint the students that will be supporting us. I can safely say that the boys are mentally and physically prepared.”

Among their opponents at the regional’s will be Grey College, who have done well in this tournament in the past. “We are neighbouring schools and have played against each other many times and I don’t remember them ever beating us,” Sani said.

The most successful school in the tournament’s history – Harmony High – have been knocked out and won’t be at the provincial finals this year, but Sani warns other schools against believing that this gives them a chance to win the title.

“They must think again because we are going to win the regional’s, provincials and nationals,” he said. “I was surprised that Harmony was knocked out so early in the tournament, but I guess it’s great that other schools also get an opportunity to participate in the provincials. We can’t have the same schools qualifying each year, last year we didn’t make it now this year Harmony didn’t make it.

There is another key reason why Sani believes all the players will be performing at their best.  “All the schools are working very hard in making sure that they also get a chance to reach the provincials, they know that the club scouts attend from provincials level and this is their chance to be discovered.”

The teams participating the Motheo regional finals are:

HTS Louis Botha-Bloemfontein Cluster

Grey College-Bloemfontein Cluster

Kgoronyane High School-Thaba Nchu Cluster

Metsimaphodi High School-Naledi Cluster

Unicom High School-Mantsopa Cluster

Sundowns Academy win through to the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup Gauteng Provincial Finals

Clapham High School, comprising the Sundowns Academy players, beat their fierce Pretoria local rivals, Rosina Sedibane Sports School, in an inter regional final match to reach the provincial finals of the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup happening at the Nike Centre, Soweto on Monday, 10 August.

It was a tough encounter explains the team manager, Johannes Petje. “Rosina and Clapham have been rivals from way back.  We have played against each many times and every game is a challenge because we know each other’s weakness and strengths so we continuously have to change our game plan and approach.”

It’s great being back in the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup, sponsored by Sanlam and the Motsepe Foundation, Petje said. “We are slowly but surely reclaiming our position in the tournament. Schools football is an ever-changing sport, one year you are champs and the next year you’re not. All schools lose players every year who move on, and sometime you lose your best players.

Last year Clapham were knocked out at the provincial level.  “A lot of factors attributed to that loss, one being that we didn’t have the majority of our players due to national call-ups. This year we have a plan B should call-ups be made,” said Petje.  “We have a few good players in our under-17 squad who we are training and preparing should we need them to fill in for the 1^st team.”

Petje believes their absence last year might give them an edge because the other teams may underestimate them. “I advise them not to do this. We have learnt from our previous mistake and the boys are hungry to prove themselves,” he said.

The team obviously wants to do better than last year. “At the beginning of the year our main focus was to qualify for the inter districts.  Now that this has been achieved we are shifting our focus and energy onto the provincials. It’s a level we are not taking lightly, considering the fact that we were knocked out at this level last year.”

The team is working hard, and not taking anyone lightly. “All the schools are considered competition regardless of whether they are academy-affiliated or not. There is a lot at stake in this tournament and everyone wants a piece of the pie.

“Beating Rosina is a big hurdle overcome,” said Petje.  “Our biggest advantage is the fact that our team is more exposed to high levels of soccer as they get to compete in more competitive tournaments than some of the other schools.

“We have a group of focused boys and with the coaching of Mike Manzini we are sure that we will be at the nationals this year. Our task right now is getting these boys used to playing on an artificial pitch. We have arranged a few games for them to get used to that type of field. We feel we are 95% ready for the provincials.”