Boland’s Duran de Wee in full reach for the ball during his side’s clash against KZN Coastal B in Bloemfontein. Photo credits: TeamPhotoSA
Boland u18Acaptain Michael Du Toit said his team intends to leave everything on the park when they battle Southern Gauteng A in the first of the two semi-finals at the u18 SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein on Thursday.
Boland cemented their spot in the final four after recording a hard-fought 2-1 victory over KZN Coastal B in their last Pool A encounter on day four.
The win meant coach Jacques Grobler‘s side would finish their round-robin stage matches in second place, with 12 points after four victories from their five matches, during which they scored 13 goals.
Their journey to the semi-finals was characterised by smart hockey, teamwork, execution when it mattered the most, and a desire to finish off matches.
After a fiery start on day one, when they beat Border 4-0, Boland made it two wins in a row with a convincing 3-1 defeat of Western Province B on Monday.
On Tuesday, however, they succumbed to a heavy 0-5 defeat against Western Province A in their first match of the day. Later, they bounced back with a convincing 4-1 win over Southern Gauteng B.
LD Nel scored a brace, while Reuben Sendzul, and the skipper, Du Toit, also made it onto the scoresheet to ease some of the pressure on the side from the Western Cape.
Against the Coastal B side, goals from Sendzul and Ethan Leonard helped them to the win. With that important strike on Wednesday, Sendzul increased his goal haul to seven thus far this week. He’ll be keen to bolster those numbers in the big playoff games that lie ahead for Boland.
After the clash, Du Toit told SuperSport Schools Plus he was pleased with his side’s performance. However, they still need to put in a lot of work if they are to win the tournament, he added: “Today’s game was a little bit tricky, and we were fatigued after the double-header yesterday, but we pulled it off,” he said.
“We know what to work on. We know our game plan, and we’re just going to keep on working on ourselves.
“We are quite stoked to be in the semi-finals. The boys have worked hard, but we are not done. We have to push more on Thursday.”
Despite clinching a place in the final four and opening up an opportunity to make a run at the title, it could be argued that the Bolanders haven’t yet played to their full potential. Knockout hockey is a different game, however, and Grobler’s charges will contest them aware of the importance of winning the small battles.
“We realise that we haven’t been at our best yet. We are still trying to work on our format and everything [else],” Du Toit admitted.
“Tomorrow is going to be difficult. We will have to graft hard. There are no easy teams here.
“We are going to give it our all, leave nothing in the tank, and work hard for that win. We have great connections as a team, on and off the field, so that needs to come to the fore in the semi-final,” the captain concluded.
Scorers
Boland A 2 (2): Reuben Sendzul, Ethan Leonard. KZN Coastal B 1 (1): Zach Williamson.
Eastern Province captain, Kian Cambier in action for his team on the third day of the SASHOC National Week. Photo: TeamPhotoSA
Five teams will enter day four of the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein still in search of their first wins with three days of the tournament already played.
Eastern Province, Border, KZN Inland A, Western Province B, and the hosts, Southern Free State, all have yet to place a tick in the win column.
The tournament, being played at the University of Free State, is nearing its business end, and by the end of day four the semifinal places will be decided.
Competition has been extremely tight, and it’s fair to say that the five aforementioned teams have had their share of challenges.
In Pool A, Border has lost three of its four matches, and they have only one point, which came from a 1-1 draw with Western Province B on the opening day.
Since then, they’ve lost 0-9 against Western Province A in a one-sided match on Monday. Then, on Tuesday, they were beaten 3-1 by KZN Coastal B.
Western Province B have misfired in front of goal this week. After a 1-3 loss against Boland, WP B has since racked up three draws, and that has left them second from bottom in the pool.
Finishing has let the side from Cape Town down, and they face a tall order on Wednesday when they take on the unbeaten pool leaders, Western Province A.
Pool B is where the drama is unfolding in the tournament, with a wide number of permutations making the final pool positions muddy heading into the last day of pool action.
Eastern Province, KZN Inland A, KZN Coastal A, and Southern Free State A, all still have a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals, but they will need some other results within the group to go their way.
EP will rue their missed opportunities, which has kept them winless after they had played themselves into positions from which they could’ve sealed victories. In their four matches, they’ve drawn three and lost one, scoring eight goals.
On Tuesday, though, they escaped a seemingly certain defeat with one of the best comebacks of the tournament so far.
They trailed 0-3 against KZN Inland and went into halftime 1-3 behind. However, coach Lyall Meyer’s charges showed great fight to work their way back to 3-3 draw. They could have clinched a win right on the final whistle, but Luke Tait‘s shot passed wide of the goal.
On Wednesday, they will face a Southern Free State team which has also been kept winless.
“That’s three games we feel we should’ve won,” said Meyer after the draw with KZN Inland. “Unfortunately, at a tournament like this, three draws won’t cut it.
“It was a good comeback (today), and I must give credit to the players for the effort and character they showed, but there were a couple of big moments that could’ve sealed the three points for us.
“Going forward, we have to control what we can control, which is the game against Free State. We have to win. We have to get three points, or else we’re playing in the bottom section of the tournament.
“Whatever happens in the other pool matches is out of our control,” he added.
Southern Free State A took on Northern Gauteng A on day three of the SASHOC National Week. Photo: TeamPhotoSA
Southern Free State, led by coach Wayne Coetzee, is also under pressure after a lukewarm showing thus far.
The hosts are yet to hit their stride, and, despite the backing of the home crowd, they’ve found goal scoring to be a massive issue.
On Tuesday, they played to a goalless draw on against a gritty Northern Gauteng side. That result has the Free Staters near the wrong end of Pool B, with two points from three matches.
On Wednesday, though, Coetzee’s team has two matches, against Eastern Province and KZN Inland A. Coetzee said his side will need to score if they intend on winning them.
“I think our boys have gone toe-to-toe with the best in the country,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus after the Northerns’ encounter.
“We are fairly happy but also disappointed by the fact that we are drawing, and there are a lot of opportunities out there that we’re leaving begging.
“A double-header day helps because we can see what everyone else has done and take it from there. We can change the whole pool, but in order to do that we have to score goals. That’s our main priority at this point,” he ended.
KZN Coastal A players celebrate after scoring a goal against Southern Gauteng A on day three of the SASHOC National Week. Photo: TeamPhotoSA
Meanwhile, KZN Coastal A side might consider themselves unlucky after coach Cam Mackay‘s troops let slip a 4-2 lead over Southern Gauteng Aon Tuesday.
Coastal scored all of their goals in the first half, but they found themselves under pressure in the second stanza. Goals from Devin Wax and Matt Eichweber pulled Southerns level.
“The game was very frustrating. I won’t say much about the game but the performance from the guys was really good,” Mackay told SuperSport SchoolsPlus after the match.
During the Southerns’ comeback, Coastal received two cards, a yellow for Lumi Matwele and a green for Ruben Peters.
“Unfortunately, the card changed the momentum of the game. We were under the pump more in the second half, but I think, in the first half, we created a lot of chances,” Mackay added.
“We’ll take the positives. I think we played well but lacked in the final product. Now we have to rely on the final game, something we didn’t want, but we’ll go out there and play our best.”
Day 3| Results and Scorers
Pool A
Western Province 2 (1) B: Ethan Daniels (2). Southern Gauteng B 2 (1): Matteo Stipcevich, Tristan Fredericks.
Western Province A 5 (4): Jordan Paulsen (2), Joshua Mettler, Joe Gitlin, Dayle Gertson. Boland A 0.
KZN Coastal B 3 (2): Seth Simpson (2), Mbuso Qwabe. Border A 0.
Western Province A 4 (1): Litha Kraai, Jordan Paulsen, Joshua Le Roux, Cohen Williams. KZN Coastal B 1 (1): Sibusiso Cele.
Boland A 3 (4): LD Nel (2), Reuben Sendzul, Michael Du Toit. Southern Gauteng B 1 (0): Murray Halstead-Cleak
Pool B
KZN Inland A 3 (3): Grant Bridgeford (2), Masud Dakile. Eastern Province A 1 (3): Zack Willimott (2), Kian Cambier.
Northern Gauteng A 0. Southern Free State A 0.
Southern Gauteng A 4 (2): Juan Martin, Tyler-Reed Napier, Devin Wax, Matt Eichweber. KZN Coastal A 4 (4): Lethabo Mathobela, Matthew de Oliveira, Lethabo Bogacwi, Lumi Matwele.
Results| Section B
Pool X:
Boland B 2-0 KZN Inland B
Southern Free State B 1-0 Eastern Province B
Mpumalanga 3-1 North West
Pool Y:
Northern Gauteng B 4-0 Eden
Northern Cape 2-2 Northern Free State
Eastern Gauteng 5-0 Limpopo
Northern Cape 1-0 Eden
Day 4| Fixtures
Pool A
11:35 – Boland A vs KZN Coastal B
13:00 – Border A vs Southern Gauteng B
14:25 – Western Province A vs Western Province B
Pool B
08:45 – Southern Gauteng A vs KZN Inland A
10:10 – Southern Free State A vs Eastern Province A
15:50 – KZN Coastal A vs Northern Gauteng A
17:15 – KZN Inland A vs Southern Free State A
Western Province’s Jordan Paulsen dancing his way around the Boland defence in their Pool A encounter at this year’s SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein. Photo: TeamPhotoSA
Western Province u18A captain Stephan Meyer said his team needs to stay grounded and humble after they recorded an impressive 5-0 win overBoland A on Tuesday, day three of the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein.
Province later, bagged their second victory of the day beating KZN Coastal B 4-1.
The tournament, being hosted at the University of Free State, is inexorably working its way towards the playoffs, with the final scheduled for Friday, 21 June.
In defence of the title, which they captured with a 100 percent winning record last year, Province took on Boland in a highly anticipated Western Cape derby, which many believed would decide which team finishes atop Pool A.
Both teams entered the match with flawless records. Boland started their week with a 4-0 win over Border A, before beating Western Province B 3-1 on Monday.
Province, on the other hand, scrapped their way to a 3-1 win over Southern Gauteng B on day one, but on day two they hit their straps, thumping Border A 9-0 in a one-sided encounter.
The last time Boland and Western Province met was in 2023’s semi-finals, with Province winning that contest 4-2.
On Tuesday, they started like a house on fire and within five minutes they had taken the lead.
After recovering the ball deep in Province’s half, Litha Kraaiput on the afterburners and found Ethan Lee in space, with just one defender and the goalkeeper in sight. Instead of going himself, Lee set up Jordan Paulsen for a tap-in and the game’s opening goal.
Immediately after that, Boland had a chance to reply from a penalty corner, but Reuben Sendzul‘s drag flick was blocked by Dayle Gertson, and that opportunity went abegging.
Boland was then made to pay for employing a high line when Province launched another counterattack from their half through Kraai.
He sprinted the length of the field and was tackled just outside the circle, but Cohen Williams picked up the loose ball and found Joe Gitlin, who made it 2-0.
Before the end of the chukka, coach Bryce West‘s charges made it 3-0. This time around, Gertson’s drag flick was saved by Beor van Reenen, but Josh Mettler pounced on the rebound to give Western Province a healthy lead after the first quarter-of-an-hour.
Province kept their feet on the gas in the second chukka, and they quickly made it 4-0 through Paulsen. Credit for that goal must go to Mettler, however. After scanning the field, he delivered a brilliant through ball to Paulsen, who danced his way around Van Reenen to strike for a second time.
Boland was a much-improved side in the third chukka, displaying more energy and intent. Their efforts were, however, kept at bay by Noah Venter, who has conceded only once in the tournament thus far.
Western Province added one more goal in the final chukka, courtesy of a Gertson drag flick, to seal an emphatic 5-0 win.
“It’s a big derby, and it always feels good to win it,” Province skipper Meyer told SuperSport Schools Plus after the match.
“We had a game plan, and I think we executed it well today. The coach is proud of us, and we stuck to what we needed to do. But it’s only three games played. The job isn’t done. We are nowhere near done. We have to stay locked in.
“It’s crucial! (to stay grounded). The one thing we can’t do is allow this victory to get to us. There are no easy games here, but if we come out fighting like we did today, we can win.”
Province will be back in action on day four and will be the odds-on favourites to finish top of Pool A, with a last pool clash against Western Province B at 14:25.
It was a brawl in the Pool B clash between Southern Gauteng A and Northern Gauteng A at the Grey College Astroturf. Photo credits: TeamPhotoSA
After a rather scratchy start to the SASHOC National Weekon Sunday, the Southern Gauteng u18A side made up ground on Monday, recording impressive victories over Southern Free State A and Northern Gauteng A.
On Sunday, despite producing some good play, Southerns were held to a 2-2 draw by Eastern Province(EP) in their Pool B opener, with Fynn Campbell and Zeyad Davids netting for the Gautengers.
Heading into day two, they had set their sights on fixing some of the errors that had cost them a victory against EP.
In their morning game, coach Anthony Woodhouse’s team took on a fierce Southern Free State side, which was also in search of a first win after they drew 1-1 with KZN Coastal A the previous day.
From the start, both teams went at it hard. Gauteng controlled the midfield battle, while Ben Benjamin, Ryan Venter, and Nashaan Matross threatened in attack.
However, it took until the fourth chukka for the deadlock to be broken and it was Southerns’ captain Tyler-Reed Napier who made the breakthrough, scoring from close range.
Free State found a reply with eight minutes remaining when Matthias Visser sent a thunderbolt drag flick into the opposition goalbox.
On Sunday, the hosts had snatched a draw with a late equaliser. This time around, however, they fell victim to a late goal as Matt Eichweber struck from a penalty corner to claim the winner for Southerns.
In the afternoon, it was time for a clash of neighbours as Southerns and Northern Gauteng met.
Northerns had enjoyed an encouraging opening day, beating KZN Inland A 2-1, before drawing 1-1 with Eastern Province on Monday morning.
It’s fair to say that the battle of the teams separated by the Jukskei River lived up to expectations, with both sides showing passion, hunger, and desperation to claim the win.
Coach Kagiso Mathaba’s Northerns’ side led 2-1 at halftime, courtesy of penalty corner goals from Hein Seebach and captain Zac Richardson, while Matt Eichweber scored for Southerns.
After half-time, Southern Gauteng gained the ascendancy. Eichweber added another two goals to his personal haul, to complete a hattrick, before his skipper, Napier, scored a screamer to make it 4-2.
Luken Brunette, who has been in superb form for Northerns, pulled one back. It made for a tense finish with emotions getting the better of some, but, in the end, Southerns came away with a 4-3 win.
“We saw lots of fight from the team, which I appreciated,” Woodhouse told SuperSport Schools Plus after the heated encounter.
“It was great to see our PC fire, and we scored some good flicks. Tyler-Reed Napier again scored a special goal.
“It’s very positive to see in a Southerns’ group that guys have a lot of fight and energy. It’s not something we’ve always had in our DNA, but we are trying to fix that in the province. But, with that said, I’m really happy with the progress.”
Southern Gauteng’s next big challenge is facing the two KZN sides, Inland A and Coastal A.
On day three, they’ll take on KZN Coastal, after coach Cam Mackay’s team picked up its first win, edging out Eastern Province 3-2 on Monday afternoon. Tuesday’s showdown is scheduled for 15:35.
Woodhouse said his charges will prepare for what he described as “tournament-defining matches.”
“We are definitely in the tournament, and in a good position based on the results that have come out of the pool,” he said.
“We still have to work hard and win the next games, because we don’t want to be in a situation where we are relying on [others’] results
“We have to be clinical in trying to break a well-coached KZN side and work hard in defence to keep some of their best players at bay,” he concluded.
In other Pool B encounters, KZN Coastal and KZN Inland shared a 2-2 draw. Coastal followed that up with their win over Eastern Province.
Boland captain, Michael du Toit in action for his side on day two of the SASHOC National Week. Photo credits: TeamPhotoSA
Matters appear to be much clearer in Pool A, where Western Province A and Boland are setting the pace.
Boland, after a 4-0 win over Border on Sunday, handed Western Province B a 3-1 defeat on Tuesday. Reuben Sendzulstole the show for the Bolanders, scoring a hattrick of goals.
Western Province also bagged a second win of their campaign, thumping Border 9-0.
Litha Kraai, who was on the scoresheet on day one, netted four times, while Zachary Gibbon scored a brace, and further goals from Josh le Roux, Dayle Gertson, and Reece Theunis completed the drubbing.
Southern Gauteng B also recorded their first win of the tournament, edging out KZN Coastal B 4-3 in a heated clash.
The action resumes on Tuesday morning at 08:30 when Western Province B takes on Southern Gauteng B.
Boland A 3 (2): Reuben Sendzul (3). Western Province B 1 (0): Noah Arries
Western Province A 9 (6): Litha Kraai (4), Zachary Gibbon (2), Josh le Roux, Dayle Gertson, Reece Theunis. Border A 0 (0).
KZN Coastal B 3 (2): Seth Simpson (2), Sahil Matai. Southern Gauteng B 4 (3): Murray Halstead-Cleak, Aiden Blatch, Benjamin Simon, Ezray Stadt.
Pool B
Southern Gauteng A 2 (0): Tyler-Reed Napier, Matt Eichweber. Southern Free State A 1 (0): Matthias Visser.
Northern Gauteng A 1 (1): Zandrè Nel. Eastern Province A 1 (1): Luke Tait.
KZN Coastal A 2 (1): Matthew De Oliveira, Trent Jessop. KZN Inland A 2 (0): Julian Koningkramer, Banele Dlamini.
Southern Gauteng A 4 (1): Matt Eichweber (3), Tyler-Reed Napier. Northern Gauteng A 3 (2): Hein Seebach, Zac Richardson, Luken Brunette.
KZN Coastal A 3 (2): Josh Mungherera, Sithsaba Siyoyo, Lumi Matwele. Eastern Province A 2 (1): Ben Ristow, Zack Willimott.
Results | Section B
Pool X
KZN Inland B 2-1 North West
Mpumalanga 2-1 Eastern Province B
Boland B 4-0 Southern Free State B
KZN Inland B 1-1 Mpumalanga
Pool Y
Northerns Blues 2-0 Eastern Gauteng
Limpopo 2-1 Northern Cape
Eden 3-0 Northern Free State
Day 3| Fixtures
Pool A
08:30 – Western Province B vs Southern Gauteng B
09:55 – Western Province A vs Boland A
11:20 – KZN Coastal B vs Border A
15:35 – Western Province A vs KZN Coastal B @Grey College
17:00 – Southern Gauteng B vs Boland A
Pool B
12:45 – KZN Inland A vs Eastern Province A
14:10 – Northern Gauteng A vs Southern Free State A
15:35 – Southern Gauteng A vs KZN Coastal A
The KZN Inland u18A side has found the going much harder over the opening two days of this year’s SASHOC National Weekthan last year’s event, which was also hosted in Bloemfontein at the University of Free State.
On Monday, they played to a 2-2 draw against their arch-rivals, KZN Coastal A. The draw followed a shock 1-2 defeat against a gritty Northern Gauteng team on the opening day.
In that clash, Tino Hove scored to give the Inland team the lead. His goal was, however, cancelled out by set piece strikes from Northerns’ skipper Zac Richardson, and Luken Brunette.
KZN Inland, captained by Hilton College’s Jarred Kitto, is focussed on bagging points from wins in Pool B, which is proving to be much tighter than many had predicted.
Coastal A, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Southern Free State A on Sunday, are also chasing a first victory.
The game started slowly, but KZN Coastal dominated possession in the early going as Andre Strydom, Matthew De Oliveira, and Lumi Matwele controlled the midfield.
Discipline was an issue in the second chukka, with players from both teams being shown their marching orders.
Inland’s Dane Jackson picked up a yellow card after a poor tackle on a Coastal player, before Coastal’s Josh Beck headed to the naughty seat after receiving a green card late in the chukka.
Coach Cameron Mackay’s Coastal side did, however, open the scoring soon after that when De Oliveira netted to give his side a slender 1-0 lead at halftime.
In the third stanza, Inland momentarily changed the momentum of the match. After surviving a few waves of attack, coach Damian Kimfley’s team scored twice in quick succession through Julian Koningkramer and Banele Dlamini.
Koningkramer’s goal came from smart interlinking play from Dlamini on the left-hand touchline. After a darting run, the speedster entered the circle and played the ball across to Koningkramer, who, with space and time on his side, calmly slotted the opportunity to level the scores.
Soon after that, good vision from the Inland side saw them move the ball quickly up to the strikers and Dlamini was in on goal. He didn’t miss and put his side 2-1 ahead.
They held onto that lead for most of the fourth chukka, but, with five minutes remaining, Coastal struck again, this time, via a short corner. Trent Jessop made it count when it mattered the most and executed a drag flick to perfection to make it 2-2.
After the match, coach Kimfley told SuperSport Schools Plus his charges had performed better than they did on Sunday: “I think we were better in terms of energy and how we pressed.
“We spent a lot of time on video analysis last night. We had about three video sessions, one last night, and two this morning, to get the guys in a better place, and I think they all fulfilled their roles today.
“We were 2-1 up for large parts of the final moments, and we just let it slip at the end. We will take the point and move on.”
With two days of round-robin action remaining, Pool B is still wide open, and KZN Inland will need to win all of their remaining matches to sneak into the top end of the playoffs.
Kimfley said that’s a pressure that he and his coaching team relish. “We enjoy the pressure. The boys do, too,” he reckoned.
“Today, I put a lot of pressure on them to perform, because we lost yesterday, and we needed to get the win. The boys stepped up, and that was good to see.
“They know we have to win the next three games. Our backs are against the wall, but we will come out fighting. We’ll do our video prep, as normal, and hold the boys accountable for their performances,” he concluded.
Inland will be back in action on Tuesday when they take on Eastern Province A at 12:45.
Day four will see them play a doubleheader against Southern Gauteng A and Southern Free State A. All of the action will be LIVE on SuperSport Schools.
Scorers
KZN Coastal A 2 (1): Matthew de Oliveira, Trent Jessop. KZN Inland A 2 (0): Julian Koningkramer, Banele Dlamini.
Boland’s Joshua Smit in action for his side on the opening day of the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein. Photo: TeamPhotoSA
The highly anticipated u18 SASHOC National Week got off to a frenzied start on Sunday at the University of the Free State. For some, there was a positive start, but for others, another quick visit to the drawing board might be necessary ahead of a jam-packed week.
Boland, Western Province A, and Northern Gauteng were the big winners on Sunday, with each collecting three points from their opening matches.
After missing out on a medal position in last year’s event (they finished fourth), Boland kicked matters off in the tournament’s first match against a strong Border side.
Both sides started slowly, with very little action in the first chukka. However, Boland attacked with precision in the second quarter and were duly rewarded when the dangerous Juan Swanepoel netted twice in quick succession to give his side a 2-0 lead.
Coach Jacques Grobler’s side wasn’t done, and with their opponents showing cracks in their defence, they made it 3-0 through a Reuben Sendzul drag flick from a penalty corner to head into halftime with a healthy advantage.
There was no change to the score in the third chukka, but Sendzul claimed his brace in the fourth to seal a hard-fought 4-0 win for his team.
“It’s a positive start. We didn’t concede any short corners and shots at goal, so I’m happy,” coach Grobler told SuperSport Schools Plus after the encounter.
“From a defensive point of view, it was great. We created a lot of opportunities and scored some excellent goals. We missed a couple, but I’d rather have us getting into positions where we can score, rather than not scoring at all.”
Day two sees Boland facing Western Province B, before a doubleheader on Tuesday, when they’ll take on their neighbours, Western Province A, and Southern Gauteng B.
Western Province’s Reece Theunis goes for goal in his side’s opening match of the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein. Photo: TeamPhotoSA
Speaking of Western Province A, the defending champions were made to work hard for their win on Sunday.
Tagged as “favourites” by many, the team from Cape Town found the going hard in the early stages of their game against a resilient and motivated Southern Gauteng B side.
For the first quarter-of-an-hour, the sides were level-pegging. In the second chukka, though, Province broke the deadlock courtesy of a Litha Kraai goal from a PC. That goal, in addition to Cohen Williams’s brilliant tap-in from a counterattack momentarily gave the defending champs some breathing space.
Southerns B, however, playing with spirit and grit, and with their supporters in full voice in the stands, pulled a goal back early in the third chukka, courtesy of Tsoanelo Seutlouli.
They also remained solid at the back, with Khanyisa Kraai, Simon Benjamin, and skipper Murray Halstead-Cleak leading the way in preventing Province from adding to their tally.
Eventually, though, Province found a way through, with Dayle Gertson firing a drag flick into the back of the net to seal a 3-1 win for coach Bryce West‘s side.
“The first game of the tournament, especially playing against a Southerns side, is always going to be difficult,” West told SuperSport Schools Plus after the match.
“We were decent, but we still have a lot to work on. In tournament hockey, it’s just important to get three points on the board, and that’s what we got today, and the first box ticked.”
Identifying areas in which he would like to see improvement, West said: “We want to play longer phases together. I think today our phases were good, but too small.
“The in-betweens are where we struggled a lot, getting used to the turf – it is a bit heavy, so the players have to be better, get more on the ball. Our structures were good, and more energy is needed.”
Northern Gauteng were among the winners, recording a 2-1 win over KZN Inland A on the opening day of the SASHOC National Week. Photo: TeamPhotoSA
Ahead of the SASHOC National Week, Northern Gauteng, coached by Kagiso Mathaba, announced their intention of causing some upsets. In their opening match of last year’s campaign, they took on Western Province A and were unfortunate to lose 2-3.
They didn’t allow history to repeat itself, recording an impressive come-from-behind 2-1 win over a strong KZN Inland A side.
After a goalless first half, the boys from KZN opened the scoring through a well-worked PC goal from Tino Hove.
The Inlanders continued to pose threats, but the Northerns defensive line stood firm.
They were, though, still behind as the fourth chukka loomed. However, a short corner strike from captain Zach Richardson, with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter, levelled matters.
In the final chukka, with just over five minutes to play, Luken Brunette also scored from a penalty corner to hand his side the lead. Northerns then held on for the win.
“It was a bit of a tough start in the first half, having to come back from a goal down. But the boys showed character, which is something we’re trying to improve on from last year,” Mathaba said afterwards.
“We’ll take the win. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how you play. You just have to get the result.”
Mathaba said he hoped to see the excellent execution and composure Northerns showed in their set pieces continuing throughout the week.
“Yes, goals are the final product, but, for us, it’s important we execute corners, injections and get the ball on target because all of those get us an opportunity to score,” he explained.
“I think out of the three short corners, we scored twice, and that shows that getting shots on target helps a lot.
“I must say, though, we are taking it one game at a time. You look at our pool, it’s all A sides. There are no easy games. The tournament isn’t done.”
There were also a number of draws on the opening day, with Western Province B and KZN Coastal B finishing goalless, while Province B also drew 1-1 with Border.
Last year’s runners-up, Southern Gauteng A, shared a 2-2 draw with Eastern Province.
Southerns were forced to come from behind twice. EP netted first through Ben Ristow, but the Gauteng side replied through a PC strike from Fynn Campbell.
EP’s skipper Kian Cambier then produced a moment of brilliance to put his side back into the lead. Zeyad Davids replied with a field goal for Southerns, resulting in the match ending in a stalemate.
Southern Free State A held KZN Coastal A to a 1-1 draw, scoring in the last five minutes to snatch a share of the spoils. The hosts will go in search of their first win on Monday when they open the day’s proceedings with a clash against Southern Gauteng A at 08:45.
Day 1| Results and scorers
Pool A
Boland A 4 (2): Juan Swanepoel (2), Reuben Sendzul (2). Border A: 0.
Western Province B: 0. KZN Coastal B: 0.
Western Province A 3 (2): Litha Kraai, Cohen Williams, Dayle Gertson. Southern Gauteng B 1 (0): Tsoanelo Seutlouli.
Western Province B 1 (1): Ethan Daniels. Border A 1(1): Helio Ruiters.
Pool B
Northern Gauteng A 2 (0): Zac Richardson, Luken Brunette. KZN Inland A 1 (0): Tino Hove.
Eastern Province A 2 (1): Ben Ristow, Kian Cambier. Southern Gauteng A 2 (0): Fynn Campbell, Zeyad Davids.
Southern Free State A 1 (0): Nkhahle Sematlane. KZN Coastal A 1 (1): Josh Beck.
Day 2| Fixtures
Pool A
13:00 – Boland A vs Western Province B
14:25 – Border A vs Western Province A
15:50 – KZN Coastal B vs Southern Gauteng B
Pool B
08:45 -Southern Free State A vs Southern Gauteng A
10:10 – Northern Gauteng A vs Eastern Province A
11:35 – KZN Coastal A vs KZN Inland A
15:35- Southern Gauteng A vs Northern Gauteng A
17:15 – Eastern Province A vs KZN Coastal A
The 2024 Kingswood College side. Photo credits: Kingswood College
“Keeping the main thing, the main thing,” will be the message echoed in the changing room by Kingswood College head coach, José Smith when his side makes a short trip to take on St Andrew’s College in the annual K-Day showdown in Makhanda on Thursday night.
Kingswood enters the match seeking revenge after they were beaten 1-0 in last year’s encounter.
The big game kicks off at 18:30 and will be played on the Webster AstroTurf at St Andrew’s.
When Smith assumed responsibility as head coach of the first team earlier this year, one of his goals was to change the team’s style of play and introduce his philosophy.
In his first-ever coaching role, he took over the reins from Director of Hockey and current first team girls’ coach, Jason Maclachlan, who had an impressive run with the side, which recorded some eye-catching results in 2023.
Coach Smith’s first order of business was joining forces with his assistant coach, Asithi Nama. Together, they have worked hard to put out a strong side that’s given a good account of itself this season.
They opened their campaign at the Belgotex Tony Godding Festival in East London in March. There, the team from Makhanda won three out of their four matches, beating Merrifield College 4-0, Linden 4-0 and Witteberg High School 1-0. They also drew 2-2 with Komani’s Queen’s College.
Soon after, they headed to the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Festival in Cape Town, where they placed an impressive 10th out of 40 schools.
In April, Kingswood hosted a Co-Ed Festival, where they recorded a 3-0 win over Glenwood House and beat Oakhill School 4-0. They were, however, handed a 0-3 loss by a tough Somerset College team.
Since that tournament, Kingswood has been in prolific form. They’ve won their last five matches, scoring 17 goals while conceding only three in those games. Just last Friday, they defeated Dale College 1-0 in Qonce.
“With it being my first year of coaching, I am beyond content with the performance and success of the team,” Smith told SuperSport SchoolsPlus ahead of K-Day.
“In all, we’ve played 25 games so far and we have lost only five.
“Not many coaches can build a team that can produce stats like the ones Ms. Nama and I have in only five months at the school.”
Photo credits: Kingswood College
In St Andrew’s, the visitors will face a side that started the season like a house on fire, then lost a little momentum, but have again found their best form.
Their last three fixtures have all been against tough Eastern Cape opponents.
In late May, they hosted the dangerous Grey High, clearly one of the best teams in South Africa in 2024 and went down 1-2 in that clash.
Coach Dean Ferreira‘s troops then travelled to face Selborne College, another of 2024’s leading teams, in East London and played to a 1-1 draw.
They’ll enter the clash confident after recording a hard-fought 2-1 win over Queen’s College in Komani last Friday.
Smith says they’re wary of the threats posed by their rivals. “It is a known fact that St Andrew’s College is a hockey school,” he said.
“They play a structured game. To say their basics are good is an understatement.
“However, these are all things that I’ve known over the years. We have not played a fixture against St Andrew’s before our game this week, and I have not had a chance to watch them play this year.
“With that said, we are approaching this game with the same mindset and intensity as every other game.”
Gary Woods serves as the side’s vice-captain. Meanwhile, Andrew Woods, Josh Loon, Jack Collett, and Ethan Alt have been earmarked as Kingswood players to keep an eye on.
Smith says those four have not only improved this season, but they continue to win the mental game and show up consistently for their teammates.
They will need to do that and then some on Thursday as they go in search of a victory.
The Northern Gauteng u18A team geared up for the u18 SASHOC National Week. Photo: Karl Seebach
Correcting the wrongs of 2023 will be the main item on the agenda for the Northern Gauteng u18Aboys’ side when they kick off their 2024 SASHOC National Weekcampaign in Bloemfontein this coming weekend.
They’ve been drawn in Pool B and will face KZN Inland A in their opening match on Sunday, 16 June at 12:45.
The University of the Free State, St Andrew’s School, St Michael’s School for Girls, Grey College,and Eunice High School will serve as the venues for the National Week.
Last year, Northern Gauteng, despite fielding a fairly young squad punched above their weight and secured a seventh-place finish, ending above Border, Southern Free State A, Eastern Province, and KZN Coastal B.
In this year’s campaign, they are again coached by the experienced Kagiso Mathaba, who Stefan Coertzen assists, while Hoërskool Eldoraigne’s Chadwin Petersen, is the manager of the side.
The selectors have opted for a mixture of youth and experience, with five players from last year’s team returning. They include the St Alban’s College duo of Sukuma Shirata and Lungile Mzimba, Pretoria Boys High’s Ruard Chris Booysen and Marco Upton, and Kade Kalib Poonasamy, from Hoërskool Eldoraigne.
“It is quite a difficult and rigorous process when it comes to selecting a team. We have over 150 boys come to trials,” coach Mathaba told SuperSport Schools Plus ahead of the tournament.
“Per SASHOC events, we have to follow certain requirements in terms of team compositions, which sometimes leaves players disappointed or hard done by at the end of the process.
“With that said, I still feel that we choose the best team to go and represent the province.
“We have a good mix of youngsters and experienced players and, without putting extra pressure on the returning players, I think the returning boys have a cool head on themselves to know what is expected of them. Their experience will be beneficial for everyone in the team.”
In picture is Sukuma Shirata, and his Northern Gauteng teammate. Shirata is one of the returning players in this year’s squad. Photo credits: Karl Seebach
The Northerns’ 2023 campaign was clouded by a series of draws and narrow defeats during the pool stages.
They drew 3-3 with both Border and Southern Free State A, narrowly lost 0-1 to KZN Inland A (1-0), and 2-3 to Western Province A. They pulled off a 2-1 win over KZN Coastal B in their final match of the tournament to end on a high.
Mathaba believes better game management in crucial times will be key if Northerns is to better their performance this year.
“We need to manage games a lot better going into this year’s tournament. We thought that we let ourselves down last year, losing and drawing games in the last few minutes of those games,” he admitted.
“We need to be better in how quickly we organize and set up our offensive and defensive shapes and just execute our plans better and more consistently.
“The plan is to focus on ourselves and not worry too much about what other teams are doing or saying.
“We are approaching this tournament by focusing on one game at a time. We not looking too far ahead.”
St Alban’s Zack Richardson will captain the side, while Ruard Booysen serves as vice-captain.
Northern Gauteng u18A
Ivan Lehlogonolo Ramushu (Die Hoërskool Menlopark), Lungile Mzimba (St Alban’s College), Hein Karl Seebach (Hoërskool Garsfontein), Luken Brunette (Hoërskool Garsfontein), Sukuma Shirata (St Alban’s College), Cameron Paul Davids (Pretoria Boys High), Ruard Chris Booysen (Pretoria Boys High), Josue Vuyolwethu Mukeba (Sutherland High School), Zack Thomas Richardson (St Alban’s College), Tyler Justin Trower (CBC Mount Edmund), Dalixolo Ndlovu (Curro Hazeldean), Marco Upton (Pretoria Boys High), David van Niekerk (Die Hoërskool Menlopark), Kade Kalib Poonasamy (Hoërskool Eldoriagne), Zandré Nel (Hoërskool Garsfontein), Kabo Takalani Mulaudzi (Pretoria Boys High).
NORTHERN GAUTENG’S POOL FIXTURES
Sunday, 16 June 12:45 – Northern Gauteng A vs KZN Inland A
Monday, 17 June 08:45 – Northern Gauteng A vs Eastern Province A
17:15 – Northern Gauteng A vs Southern Gauteng A
Tuesday, 18 June 12:45 – Northern Gauteng A vs Southern Free State A
Wednesday, 19 June 15:50 – Northern Gauteng A vs KZN Coastal A
Kwena Maphaka in action for the Saints hockey side. Photo credits: John Wessels
Just under a month after returning from the high-profile Indian Premier League (IPL), St Stithians College cricket star and first team hockey captain Kwena Maphaka intends on concluding his schoolboy hockey career on a high note over the forthcoming weeks.
The multi-talented prodigy will lead his side on Friday night when they host Kearsney College at 18:15 on the Superpark Red Astroturf in his final derby match on home turf.
The year 2024 has been one to savour for the youngster.
He shone for South Africa at the ICC u19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, which took place on home soil early in the year. The 17-year-old made his mark, picking up 21 wickets and a tournament record three five-wicket hauls, and took home the Player of the Tournament accolade.
His impressive bowling on the world stage earned him a call up to the Mumbai Indians team, making him the youngest South African player to play for an IPL side. Previously, the record had belonged to 19-year-old Dewald Brevis.
His inclusion in the tournament did, however, mean he would miss a huge chunk of the hockey season.
After his spell in India, Maphaka returned to action on the turf late last month, playing in the Aitken Cup, which was hosted by St Stithians.
His team entered the tournament with their sights set on defending the title they won against Jeppe High School for Boys in 2023, however, it wasn’t to be.
Their difficult challenge became an uphill task after they suffered a shock 0-2 defeat at the hands of Helpmekaar Kollege in their opening game.
The hosts recovered well, though, picking up emphatic victories over Rand Park High (10-1), Northcliff School (7-0), and Noordheuwel (7-1). The damage had been done, however, and they finished outside the top five.
Saints quickly put that disappointment behind them, and they’ve since added another four wins onto those they scored in the Aitken Cup.
Smart, quick, and enterprising hockey saw them claim the scalp of KwaZulu-Natal’s St Charles College, winning 3-2 in Pietermaritzburg. They also won 2-1 against Garsfontein, scored an impressive 4-0 defeat of St David’s Marist Inanda and, in their most recent outing, they claimed a hard-fought 3-2 victory over St Alban’s College.
“I think I’ve settled back into the game quite well,” Maphaka told SuperSport Schools Plus ahead of the Kearsney clash.
“While away in India, I always had hockey in the back of my mind, so it’s really nice to be back.
“My first game back was the first game of Aitken. Although we didn’t come out with the win, it was great to be back out on the turf and fight tooth and nail with my brothers out there.”
The 2024 St Stithians Boys College team. Photo credits: John Wessels
St Stithians comes up against a Kearsneyside that’s enjoyed a strong season and has been in fine form in recent weeks.
Apart from drawing (1-1) with Michaelhouse last weekend, the side from Botha’s Hill will draw confidence from their impressive wins over Clifton College (3-0) and Glenwood (4-0) in recent weeks.
Maphaka said Saints are fully aware of the threats the visitors will pose.
“They are a great side this year,” he said.
“However, I think we’ve played some really good hockey over the past few weeks and that run of form will do wonders for our confidence going into the game.
“We know it’s going to be tough and that they are going to come out firing. I believe if we stay calm and stick to our game plan, we’ll be golden.”
The match against the KZN side will be the first of three before Maphaka bids farewell to the Saints’ hockey team.
After the weekend’s clash, they have away games against St John’s College and Cornwall Hill College later this month and, after that, they’ll draw the curtains on the 2024 season.
The skipper said his team is keen to deliver the goods in their remaining matches. “I’m really excited to end off on a high note,” he confidently said.
“I’ve loved hockey since I was young, and this will most probably be the last time I touch the Astro.
“I think getting a streak of wins in our last games would be the perfect sendoff from the game,” he concluded.
FIXTURES
Friday, 14 June
18:15 – St Stithians College vs Kearsney College (1st Team)
17:00 – St Stithians College vs Kearsney College (u16A)
16:00 -St Stithians College vs Kearsney College (u14A)
SACS Hockey Player, Litha Kraai dancing his way through Grey High’s defence in their meeting in Cape Town this year. Photo credits: Ray Chaplin Photography
The 2024 schoolboy hockey season is turning out to be another memorable one for the South African College High School (SACS).
They produced a near-perfect 2023 season, losing only once, with that lone 2-3 defeat coming against Paul Roos Gimnasium(PRG) in the final of the Hibbert Shield in Gqeberha.
This year, despite starting like a house on fire, they endured a similar setback, as PRG got one over the Cape Town side on a penalty shootout at the same tournament in May.
Apart from that defeat, though, SACS has swept the floor with many of their opponents around the country. They remain unbeaten in the Western Cape, where they comfortably beat Paul Roos in a league match, and are the favourites to retain their league title and end the year among the top teams in the country. In many people’s eyes, they are number one.
A player who has been an integral cog in their success is the exciting and dangerous Litha Kraai.
Kraai has been a cut above the rest this season, playing with confidence, scoring goals for fun, it seems, and delivering one enticing showing after another, week in and week out.
His ruthless efficiency in front of goal, ability to handle pressure, and his big-match temperament (BMT) have shown up when his team needs him the most.
The SA u17 midfielder’s brilliance not only dazzles spectators but also inspires his teammates, making him an invaluable asset to his team’s overall success.
In it, he spoke about the current season, growing up playing for the Langa Hockey Club, his achievements on the turf, SACS’s objectives for the year, and the influential figures that have harnessed his love and commitment for the game.
