Author: ongcwabe

The U15 Three Nations Tournament is well and truly underway in the city of Rabat in Morocco, where three of Africa’s biggest footballing countries – South Africa, Morocco and Ivory Coast – are going toe-to-toe for bragging rights in the five-day-long tournament.

To kick start the tournament, South Africa locked horns with Ivory Coast at the Mohammed VI Football Complex on Tuesday, with the Ivorians claiming a 4-2 victory.

Despite the defeat, the South African u15 coach, Vela Khumalo, said his focus is on the overall vision behind the tournament, which aims to improve and develop African football to help the continent become a bigger player on the world stage, with the next edition of the FIFA U17 World Cup taking centre stage in 2025.

As a result, the Confederation of African Football, headed up by South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe, has worked with the three participating countries’ governing bodies to bring together the most exciting u15 talent from the north, south and west of Africa. The goal is to nurture the young talent so that they are prepared to take on the best in the world in the u17 age group.

Despite Tuesday’s defeat, coach Khumalo reiterated that his players had gained experience, and that experience would come in handy in the future, be it in the national colours or locally in the Gauteng Development League.

Although his team went down, Khumalo said there were plenty of positives to take out of the contest.

“Remember this is the initiative that we want to see Africans develop more and get to the u17 level ready and exposed to these kinds of tournaments. This will give more minutes, more caps to our players. It will not be a new thing altogether,” he added.

South Africa has sent 29 players to Morocco, but coach Khumalo reckons it is not only the players that will benefit from the experience of being involved in the international football space.

The coach believes the entire coaching staff will return home having gained valuable experience that will be of great benefit to South African football.

“It is helping the technical team to identify the challenges that we are having in the build-up,” Khumalo explained.

“For our technical staff also, it’s experience gathered, and experience that will be used in the future,” he concluded.

The tournament runs until Sunday, 17 December.

SA U15 Touring Squad

#	NAME	SURNAME	TEAM
1.	Ronin	BLACKWELL	Panorama FC
2.	Keabetswe	MORAKE	Kaizer Chiefs
3.	Christiano	VON MUELEN	School of Excellence
4.	Sive	PAMA	Cape Town City
5.	Ncebo	MTOLO	Magic FC
6.	Lucca	LAZARUS	Supersport United
7.	Tswelelo	MAAKI	Supersport United
8.	Tiago	KAHN	Panorama FC
9.	Luke	HENDRIKS	Ubuntu FC
10.	Lebogang	MSWANE	School of Excellence
11.	Anovuyo	MQOQI	Cape Town City
12.	Royce	MALATJI	Kaizer Chiefs
13.	Kabelo	SIBANDE	Mamelodi Sundowns
14.	Thurston	PHILLIPS	Cape Town Spurs
15.	Selwyn	STEVENS	Cape Town Spurs
16.	Kgaogelo	MONANYANE	Mamelodi Sundowns
17.	Emile	WITBOOI	School of Excellence
18.	Ishaam	TILLING	Ubuntu FC
19.	Simphiwe	MLONDO	School of Excellence
20.	Neo	BOHLOKO	Kaizer Chiefs
21.	Adriano	ADAMS	Cape Town Spurs
22.	Lesego	HLOPHE	Kaizer Chiefs
23.	Bokamoso	MOKOKOSI	Kaizer Chiefs
24.	Steven	MENDEZ	Kaizer Chiefs
25.	Uyathanda	SBOTHOBOTHO	Cosmos FC
26.	Boyzy	NGIDI	Amazulu
27.	Luyanda	BIYELA	Amazulu
28.	Diego	DA SILVA	University of Pretoria
29.	Liam	MOKGOSINYANE	TS Galaxy

Who would’ve thought that a team that plays outside of the highly regarded Gauteng Development League (GDL) would make it this far? NWU Vaal u19s have defied the odds to reach the semifinals of the GDL Youth Cup, where they have been drawn to take on Mamelodi Sundowns.

Not so long ago, Sundowns were dominating the football space in almost all divisions, including in South Africa’s highest league, the Premier Soccer League’s DStv Premiership.

The “Kabo Yellow” franchise is known for its high standards, not only in the professional football space, but also at the grassroots level. Rulani Mokoena, the current Mamelodi Sundowns’ senior team coach, was once in charge of the u19 team and it is there that Mokoena learnt and implemented his high standards.

Since then, the Pretoria-based club has returned positive results in the junior ranks, but not quite at the same level as when Mokoena was leading the way.

In the u19 division of the 2023 Gauteng Development League, Sundowns produced a strong season, but still suffered five losses in their 34 matches, including to the champions, Highlands Park, and to TS Galaxy, who finished seventh.

Placing second in the eight-month-long league, with a positive goal difference of 62 was no mean feat, but at Sundowns the expectations are higher than at any other club in the country. The goal, always, is to be champions.

Now they have an opportunity to lay their hands on a trophy, but first they must tackle the underdogs, the NWU Vaal u19s, at Marks Park at 13:00 SAST on Saturday for a place in the final.

Sundowns saw off a strong Tuks u19 team in the quarterfinals this past weekend, while NWU Vaal performed superbly to oust the School of Excellence u19s.

The Brazilians are favoured to advance. However, knockout competitions are anything but predictable.

FIXTURES

U13 Division, 9:00
– Jomo Cosmos vs Mamelodi Sundowns (Field A)
– Kaizer Chiefs vs Joburg City (Field B)

U15 Division, 10:15 
– Jomo Cosmos vs Mamelodi Sundowns (Field A)
– Rosina Modiba vs TS Galaxy (Field B)

U17 Division, 11:30 
– School of Excellence vs TUKS (Field A)
– Kaizer Chiefs vs Joburg City (Field B)

U19 Division, 13:00
– NWU Vaal vs Mamelodi Sundowns (Field A)
– Kaizer Chiefs vs TS Galaxy (Field B)

The semi-finals of the Gauteng Development League (GDL) Youth Cup are upon us, with four divisions set to grace Marks Park this coming weekend as teams do battle for places in next week’s finals of the knockout competition.

A gruelling four weeks of intense, closely contested matches has the remaining sides on the verge of playing for silverware. In the u19 division, the Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs, strange as it may sound, caused an upset by beating the in-form GDL champions Highlands Park to make it to the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, TS Galaxy, their opponents on Saturday, have had to graft hard to make it to the final four. Last weekend, they eliminated Joburg City.

This weekend, Chiefs, high in confidence following their victory over Highlands Park, are the favourites ahead of the semi-final showdown. However, there’s more to the TS Galaxy side than meets the eye.

In the recently concluded GDL, Galaxy finished inside the top-eight, after a solid league campaign.

During the course of 2023, they’ve also accounted for some big guns, including SuperSport United, Wits and Mamelodi Sundowns. The tag, “slayer of giants”, is one the team from Mpumalanga has earned this year.

Head-to-head, TS Galaxy is Kaizer Chiefs’ worst nightmare. They’re a thorn in the side of coach David Mathebula and his team. In fact, they boast a 100 percent win ratio against the gold and black this season.

They beat Chiefs 2-1 away at Naturena on the 10th of June, just a week after handing Mamelodi Sundowns a 2-1 loss. A little over a month ago, when Chiefs visited TS Galaxy, the home team repeated the 2-1 win they had achieved in their first meeting.

Time and again in the GDL, big teams, favoured to beat smaller, less-recognised sides, have come up short after failing to deal with the pressure of being the favourites. For those smaller sides, playing the big names often brings out the best in them.

Can TS Galaxy make it three-out-of-three this year against Kaizer Chiefs?

The encounter gets underway on Field B at Marks Park from 13:00 SAST.

Other Fixtures

U13 Division, 9:00
– Jomo Cosmos vs Mamelodi Sundowns (Field A)
– Kaizer Chiefs vs Joburg City (Field B)

U15 Division, 10:15
– Jomo Cosmos vs Mamelodi Sundowns (Field A)
– Rosina Modiba vs TS Galaxy (Field B)

U17 Division, 11:30
– School of Excellence vs Tuks (Field A)
– Kaizer Chiefs vs Joburg City (Field B)

U19 Division, 13:00
– NWU Vaal vs Mamelodi Sundowns (Field A)
– Kaizer Chiefs vs TS Galaxy (Field B)

 

 

The fairy-tale season of the Highlands Park u19 team was brought to an end on Sunday, courtesy of the South African football giants Kaizer Chiefs, who edged out the Lions of the North after a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals of the Gauteng Development League (GDL) Youth Cup.

While Chiefs won on Sunday, 2023 has, undoubtedly, belonged to Highlands Park. They were the best team throughout the duration of the most coveted youth league in South Africa, which many respected football experts believe to be the best youth league on the African continent.

The GDL is comprised of four divisions – u13, u15, u17 and u19 – and Highlands Park were crowned champions of the toughest of them all, the u19 division, which features some of the most exciting football talent in the country, including players who occasionally feature for South Africa’s top-flight Premier Soccer League clubs in the DStv Premiership.

Despite their success, coach Sifiso Mnguni‘s Highlands Park u19s always carry the underdogs’ tag into clashes against the likes of Mamelodi Sundowns, Chiefs and SuperSport United – clubs who have built up respect in African football over the course of many years.

This past year, though, Mnguni and his unit reenacted the David and Goliath story, taking down the giants, week-in and week-out, as they powered their way to the 2023 Gauteng Development League title.

After the league season concluded, the GDL Youth Cup was launched, and following their league title, Mnguni’s team was immediately installed as the favourites to achieve the double.

Highlands Park were in cruise control in the round of 32 and the round of 16, but they hit a roadblock in the form of coach David Mathebula‘s Chiefs u19s this past weekend. Some termed the quarterfinal showdown “the final before the final”.

For Chiefs, it was an opportunity for redemption. They had finished third in the league, trailing runners-up Mamelodi Sundowns by two points, but Highlands Park by 12. For the Lions of the North, it was another chance to further assert their dominance.

In the end, though, it was the Phefeni Glamour Boys who secured redemption.

They very nearly missed out, scoring a last-minute goal in regulation time to force a penalty shootout, which the AmaKhosi then won 5-4 from the spot.

It wasn’t the way in which Highlands Park wanted to end their season, but coach Mnguni, his players and the entire Highlands Park Club have many reasons to be proud of the sustained excellence produced by his charges throughout an eight-month long league campaign, and on into the knockout format of the GDL Youth Cup.

Their league success refutes any suggestions that Highlands Park were one-hit wonders. They not only won the league title, they earned the respect of the entire Gauteng Development League community.

“It’s my wish that one day I change the situation back home. Even though I wouldn’t necessarily say that we are poor because there’s even poorer families back home, but I really want to make a difference since I have been given this talent and all these opportunities,” Khulumani Ndamane told SuperSport Schools recently in an exclusive interview.

For a boy coming from humble beginnings in the KwaZulu-Natal village of Sahlumbe, near Ladysmith, donning the gold and black colours of Kaizer Chiefs is a massive achievement.

Ndamane was spotted during the playoffs of his team, FC Drakensberg, where he was an integral part of its success in being promoted to a higher league.

On the 2nd of August last year, he arrived in Johannesburg for the first time for a trial at centre-back. Ever since, he has made Naturena his home, starring for Chiefs in the Gauteng Development League (GDL).

“I was playing in KZN for FC Drakensberg and after the [2022] season we played playoffs for us to get promoted to the Vodacom League. After that I went to an agent, and then I came up to Joburg for the trials,” Ndamane recalled.

“I was so scared and nervous coming here because having all these facilities at the Village can be quite intimidating, but with time I got used to the facilities, my teammates and the coaches.”

READ: “We want to dominate,” said David Mathebula ahead of GDL Quarterfinals

Ndamane is one of a few players, who has turned out for both the u17 and u19 teams, that coach Vela Khumalo has also had do duty in the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC).

It was a steep jump moving from the GDL to the DDC, Ndamane said, but being selected by coach Khumalo was a big confidence-booster.

“It means a lot if you’re promoted. You get a sense of hope that you will eventually make it to the top and also it really boosts your self-belief as a player,” he said.

“But the fact of the matter is that it is a new challenge, and it’s not anywhere near being similar to the GDL, because when you get there the supporters are heavily involved in the games and the pressure that comes with that is immense. So, you have to be strong mentally because you can find yourself making mistakes.”

The GDL Youth Cup takes centre stage this weekend as Ndamane and his Kaizer Chiefs u19 teammates look to ambush the Cup favourites. They host Highlands Park u19, who were the convincing winners of the GDL League.

READ: Redemption for Kaizer Chiefs as they face Highlands Park?

“Whenever we play them, it is really tough because they are very sound defensively. This coming Saturday, we’ll have to be clinical in front of goal and make sure that we make full use of our opportunities,” he said.

He also highlighted what u19 coach David Mathebula has been communicating with the Chiefs’ players during the build-up to the clash.

“The message from the coach has been very clear heading into the quarterfinals. He’s been big on us being patient and removing emotions in a game like this because it is natural for us players to want to prove ourselves and have a bit of animosity against a team that we haven’t been able to beat this season.”

The mouth-watering tie is kicks off at 13.30 SAST.

READ: GDL Youth Cup Quarterfinalists

 

The quarterfinals of the Gauteng Development League Youth Cup beckon as teams fine-tune their preparations ahead of the weekend’s action.

The most eye-catching fixture is undoubtedly in the u19 division where Kaizer Chiefs will go toe-to-toe with a Highlands Park team that has dominated development football throughout the year in the Gauteng region.

READ: REDEMPTION FOR KAIZER CHIEFS U19’S?

The mouthwatering clash gets underway at 1.30pm SAST on Saturday, 25 November, at the Kaizer Chiefs Village.

“Our approach this coming Saturday won’t change, despite the fact that we always look to improve. We want to dominate possession. We want to be in control of the game and, yes, we want to win the game and play in the semi-finals,” Chiefs’ coach, David Mathebula, told SuperSport Schools in an exclusive interview.

“Highlands Park were the most consistent team, based on results. We played them and lost away and drew at home but, most importantly, in those matches we were able to impose ourselves on them.

“That’s what it is all about when you’re at a bigger brand, such as Chiefs. You have to impose your style of play on the opposition. Yes, the results haven’t gone our way but, in terms of nailing down our style of play, I think we have been very successful.”

Mathebula, a Chiefs’ legend, has come a long way since hanging up his boots in 2018. From assistant coaching duties to Sello Chokoe at  Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM), to a managerial position with Black Aces, Mathebula has been honing his coaching skills for a number of years.

The Kaizer Chiefs’ senior team has chopped and changed coaches in the recent past, and there are opportunities for Mathebula. Perhaps those are not at Chiefs, but there are certainly enough opportunities for young coaches to stake a claim at the country’s top clubs.

Mamelodi Sundowns’ coach, Rulani Mokoena, is a prime example for young coaches as he has led Sundowns to continental success on numerous occasions.

“There’s progress. I have improved a lot in terms of how I approach training, how I manage players, and how I plan for the games. Things are getting better and better,” said Mathebula.

“We want to grow as coaches. Once you start this process, you picture yourself coaching at the highest level. At the development level, it’s all about us learning the game and understanding what coaching is about, but I believe I’m capable and I have the skills to coach at the highest level. That is the ultimate goal.

“I coached a reserve team in Limpopo and the challenges were different in that there were a lot of hiccups outside the field of play. But the job here is quite simple. Everything is run professionally because all I am focussing on here is coming up with the right programmes for the kids and trying to get better results from the players.”

Th effectiveness of Mathebula’s work can be seen in his u19 players who regularly graduate to the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC). Takalani Mazhamba, Ofentse Kgosana, Khulumane Ndamane and Neo Bohloko were all in the starting line-up of coach Vela Khumalo‘s DDC team this past weekend.

“It’s a plus when you see the boys progress to the next level. That’s the main aim, not just progress, but adding value at the next level,” Mathebula concluded.

READ: GDL YOUTH CUP QUARTER-FINALISTS

As the quarter-final stage of the Gauteng Development League Youth Cup draws closer, coach David Mathebula‘s Kaizer Chiefs u19s are in with a chance of redemption when they face coach Sifiso Mnguni‘s Highlands Park u19s at the Kaizer Chiefs Village on 25 November.

It would be redemption for Chiefs purely because Highlands Park have been dominant this year, especially in the u19 division of the Gauteng Development League, which they won comfortably after an impressive 34-match campaign in which the Highlands Park boys lost only three times.

Kaizer Chiefs also enjoyed a strong season, suffering only five defeats on their way to a third-place finish, 12 points behind the champions.

With Mathebula at the helm – the veteran of 256 games as a professional, including 79 for Chiefs – the u19s will, no doubt, be motivated to take full advantage of their opportunity to have another crack at Highlands Park in the knockout competition.

They’ll be seeking to reverse a futile streak against their opponents, with Chiefs’ best result in 2023 being a goalless draw in their most recent showdown. It took a rearguard action from the Amakhosi, who struggled to cope with the champions’ high-pace and high-intensity style of play, to achieve that result.

That match took place on the 12th of August. Before that, the two teams did battle on the 15th of April, with Mnguni’s side handing the Soweto giants a humbling 2-1 loss.

The Youth Cup, however, will pose some different questions to the league encounters. It is, of course, a knockout format, and many of the teenagers are busy writing their end of year exams.

How might this impact the fixture?

None of the teams have yet had to make do without any of their star players, but it could be that one or two sides find themselves in a tricky situation if any of those leading players are forced to miss a match.

The possible impact of fatigue as a result of the exams and the demands they place on the boys is something that needs to be considered, too.

The answers will make themselves known when the action takes place on the 25th of November, with the two big guns both determined to advance to the final four, one step from duelling for the GDL Youth Cup silverware.

Quarter-final Fixtures

U19 Division

– Kaizer Chiefs vs Highlands Park
– Joburg City vs TS Galaxy
– School of Excellence vs NWU Vaal
– Mamelodi Sundowns vs TUKS

U17 Division

– Kaizer Chiefs vs Highlands Park
– School of Excellence vs Randburg AFC
– Prestige Football DF vs TUKS
– Joburg City vs TS Galaxy/Capital City

U15 Division

– Rosina Sedibane vs Highlands Park
– Jomo Cosmos vs Randburg AFC
– Mamelodi Sundowns vs RESA
– Panorama vs TS Galaxy

U13 Division

– Kaizer Chiefs vs Siluma 7
– Jomo Cosmos vs Supersport United
– Joburg City vs Kathorus Hyper
– Mamelodi Sundowns vs RESA

The quarterfinals of the Gauteng Development League Youth Cup beckon following a highly competitive round of 16 on the weekend. As teams prepare for the quarter-final’s crunch games, there will be a few big names missing from the fixture list after some favoured sides were eliminated in upsets.

SuperSport Schools looks at the THREE BIGGEST UPSETS from the Round of 16.

1. School of Excellence u13s & u15s crash-out

As the name clearly states – School of Excellence – the standards and expectations within the Gauteng-based academy are as high as they come. These standards and expectations are by no means unfounded – the academy is currently defending two GDL Youth Cup trophies across two divisions, and they were vying for more this season.

On Saturday, their u13s were given a proper run for their money by a red-hot and motivated Jomo Cosmos outfit, who were rewarded with a 1-0 win. Cosmos also inflicted further misery on the School of Excellence in the u15 division, progressing to the last eight after sneaking a 6-5 win from the penalty spot following a goalless draw.

Read: Quarter-finalists | GDL Youth Cup Round of 16

2. Rosina Sedibane u15 humble Kaizer Chiefs

It doesn’t matter the competition or where it is held, the Soweto Giants are always expected to find ways to string together victories, be it in the Premier Soccer League or in the lower leagues, including the GDL Youth Cup.

Rosina Sedibane, though, were having none of that. They matched Chiefs blow-for-blow and held their favoured opponents to a 1-1 draw. Then, they demonstrated big match temperament by triumphing 4-2 from the spot. It was an unhappy day for the Amakhosi, who were also beaten by their arch-rivals, Orlando Pirates, in the Premier Soccer League.

Read: Quarter-finalists | GDL Youth Cup Round of 16

3. SuperSport United u17s succumb to Randburg FC Pressure

This was another big upset on Saturday afternoon. SuperSport United, the winners of the Gauteng Development League’s under-17 division by seven points over runners-up Kaizer Chiefs, had their cup run ended early.

They were expected to deal with Randburg AFC in their quarter-final match-up, but it was not a simple task as Randburg had placed in the top four of the Gauteng Development League, albeit that they finished 15 points behind SuperSport. On Saturday, however, Randburg had the better of the GDL champions, recording a convincing 2-0 victory.

Read: Quarter-finalists | GDL Youth Cup Round of 16

 

 

 

After a long and gruelling Round of 16 over the weekend, just eight teams remain in the hunt for silverware. SuperSport Schools brings you each of the quarter-finalists from each division. 

U13 Quarter-finalists
– Jomo Cosmos
– Kaizer Chiefs
– Mamelodi Sundowns
– Kathorus Hyper
– Siluma 7
– SuperSport United
– Remember Elite Sports Academy
– Joburg City

U15 Quarter-finalists
– Jomo Cosmos
– Rosina Sedibane
– Mamelodi Sundowns
– TS Galaxy
– Highlands Park
– Randburg FC
– Panorama
– Remember Elite Sports Academy

U17 Quarter-finalists
– TUKS
– Joburg City
– School of Excellence
– Kaizer Chiefs
– Prestige Football Development
– TS Galaxy
– Highlands Park
– Randburg FC

U19 Quarter-finalists
– School of Excellence
– Kaizer Chiefs
– Mamelodi Sundowns
– Joburg City
– TS Galaxy
– Highlands Park
– NWU Vaal
– TUKS

The Gauteng Development League Youth Cup is well and truly underway, with action continuing around the province this weekend in the round of 16.

Last season’s under-13 champs, Mamelodi Sundowns, remain in the hunt for the title after keeping a clean sheet against Prestige Football Development Academy last weekend, while slotting two goals past the Prestige goalkeeper.

Despite winning the 2022 edition of the knockout tournament, Mamelodi Sundowns’ u13 coach Lunga Nobela was at pains to emphasise the point that his team was made up of 11- and 12-year-olds.

Nobela said his players were filled with potential, but they were also challenged by having to front up to bigger and more experienced boys, which was especially the case when they took on Kaizer Chiefs’ u13s in the semi-finals last season.

“We believe…we deserve to be here,” Nobela said during last year’s final four showdown with Chiefs at Panorama.

WATCH: GDL YOUTH CUP 2023 LAUNCH

“Our succession plan is for next year (2023) and that’s why we have 11- and 12-year-old boys that we believe have the talent. What we expect from them is to enjoy themselves and be free enough to play a normal game.”

In 2022, Nobela’s young charges went on to claim the knockout title and they have since gone on to deliver bigger and better things.

In December 2022, they laid claim to the silverware in the inaugural Volkswagen (VW) Vaya Cup soccer tournament, which was held at the University of the Witwatersrand. Following that triumph, coach Nobela and his team were rewarded with a coveted spot at a bespoke international training camp with FC Porto, in Portugal, in April.

This season, in the Gauteng Development League, Nobela’s team finished as runners-up to a dominant Kaizer Chiefs’ side, which finished 10 points clear at the top.

At the core of Nobela’s approach is a coaching philosophy that focuses on the development of his players as individuals but, at the same time, for the benefit of the Pretoria-based club and the nation at large.

“Yes, we want to win but, at the end of the day, it is all about the development of the boys. It is for them to develop and become good players, so that one day they can represent not only the club but the national team,” he said.

“At Mamelodi Sundowns, that is our vision, to make sure that from a young age that is what we build.”

The Brazilians’ u13s, u15s and u19s are all through to the round of 16 of the Gauteng Development League Youth Cup, but the u17s were bounced from the tournament last weekend after a 1-3 defeat to Prestige FDA.