Author: sipongco

Young talent lit up the court at SAHETI School‘s Junior Slam u14 Basketball Tournament on the weekend, with the action streaming live on SuperSport Schools.

The SAHETI boys’ A-Team reached new heights when, buoyed by their enthusiastic supporters, they triumphed over St John’s College in the final, claiming a convincing 35-25 win.

In the bronze playoff, Michael Mount Waldorf School overran Redhill School 35-5.

In the girls’ competition, the title match was fiercely contested and extremely close. A three-point shot could have altered the outcome, but Michael Mount came away with the gold, edging out Redhill School 24-21.

St Mary’s Waverley outperformed the hosts, Saheti, in the playoff for bronze, scoring a decisive 21-8 win.

Kerdrick Haggard, the Head of High School Sport at SAHETI, said he was satisfied with the tournaments results and said the event was the first of many to follow.

“It’s been great to see both boys and girls doing well,” he said, adding that SAHETI is already looking at ways in which to expand the event in 2026.

At courtside, while watching crossovers, fast breaks, and alley-oops, SuperSport Schools Plus spoke with Haggard, SAHETI’s Head of High School Sport, as well as Christina Mogale, the Senior Sports Development Officer, and Zama Sosibo, the High School Basketball MIC.

Since its introduction in 2013, basketball has become a popular sport at the school. There were four teams initially, Mogale said, including junior boys’ and girls’ teams, but their popularity led to the creation of senior teams.

Considering the host’s contribution on the court to the weekend’s action, Sosibo said she was pleased with the team’s conduct and efforts.

“I’m very satisfied, to see the difference from yesterday [Friday] to today [Saturday], since the majority of the kids are here for the first time, or they are playing in a tournament for the first time,” Sosibo said.

Schools, generally, do not host u14 tournaments, as they typically start at u16 level. That results in children often struggling with tournament regulations and tiring quickly. “Having u14s, we wanted to bridge that gap to make sure that when kids get to the u16 and u19 tournaments, they are well prepared. They know how it feels to play in a tournament, so that it’s not new to them,” Sosibo explained.

The school’s basketball scene continues to pick up momentum, and both Mogale and Sosibo said they are looking forward to a competitive season.

“We want to keep that momentum. We want to make sure that the standard is kept at a high level, and we want to compete with big schools,” Mogale told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“We are a co-educational school, so we are seen competing with mostly boys’ schools with the boys’ basketball, and we want to make sure that we keep that standard, and we are always there to compete, and that we’re not just seen as a co-educational school, but we’re seen as a competitive school.”

Mogale said one of SAHETI’s advantages is that basketball is introduced to the children from grade one. They grow up with the game throughout primary school and high school.

SAHETI’s dedication and effort was rewarded when one of their own, Ntsakisi Makhuba, was included in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Her Time to Play Elite Camp – South Africa, which was hosted at the Klipspruit Sport Centre, earlier this year, in Soweto.

Mogale stated that, for players like Makhuba, such experiences are both valuable and advantageous for the individual and the institution.

“From my side, I think it helps our development a lot because our girls get to understand that it’s not a small community, but they can actually get the opportunity to be on those big stages,” Sosibo said.

Makhuba has also been selected for the Basketball National League All Stars on Sunday, 14 September, where she will join, among others, Liamisha Aboo, from Redhill, who recently attended the Basketball Without Borders Camp in Rwanda. Sosibo said it brought her joy to see those girls competing at a high level.

Anthea Boutselis, who was part of the u16 South African girls’ National Team that played in Italy in 2023, is one of the players who has proudly showcased SAHETI’s basketball skills in recent years, noted Sosibo.

RESULTS

Boys’ Final

Saheti A Team 35-25 St John’s College

Bronze Playoff

Michael Mount 36-5 Redhill

Position 5 and 6 Playoff

Saheti B Team 29-16 St Peter’s College

Girls’ Final 

Michael Mount 24-21 Redhill

Bronze Playoff

St Mary’s Waverley 21-8 Saheti

Position 5 and 6 Playoff 

St Peter’s College 28-18 King’s School Linbro

Girls’ All-Star Team

Hlumouhle Buthelezi – St Mary’s Waverley
Marina Savvides – Saheti School
T Cele – Michael Mount
S Milic – Redhill School
MVP – A Fall – Michael Mount

Boys’ All-Star Team 

K Phiri – St John’s College
J Masewamana – Saheti School
Akani Tiva – Michael Mount
Tinotenda Pswarayi – Redhill School
MVP – A Messina – Saheti School

The race for the u19 Gauteng Development League (GDL) title continues to heat up and now Highlands Park, the two-time defending champions, are back at the summit of the table after claiming successive wins on Saturday and Sunday.

The Lions of the North have been remarkably tough and consistent over the past couple of seasons, and their 2025 lineup has demonstrated more of that same steel that has taken them to consecutive GDL titles.

On Saturday, up against another team with title aspirations, SuperSport United, Highlands Park, coached by Sifiso Mnguni, cantered to a 4-1 win. Then, on Sunday, against the table-topping Mamelodi Sundowns, they grabbed an invaluable 1-0 win to overhaul their rivals.

With the win over SuperSport United at Balfour Park, the Lions of the North increased their season’s tally by three to 58. Then, with their win over Sundowns, they improved it to 61 while, crucially, preventing ‘Downs from adding to their total. Tsheole Kgopotso netted the game winner.

Sundowns did, however, pick up three points at Clapham High School on Saturday, with a 3-1 defeat of Remember Elite Sport Academy (RESA).

Ahead of the game, on Thursday, RESA coach Sandile Mathumbo told SuperSport Schools Plus it was going to be a challenging match for both teams.

Another team in the thick of the title race, Randburg AFC, secured a 2-0 victory over the struggling School of Excellence, who lie 14th in the standings, way below their usual position towards the upper end of the table.

Kathorus Hyper Academy, who have made a huge impact this season, particularly during the second round of league fixtures, returned to winning form on Saturday after an entertaining 3-3 draw against Panorama FC last week. Up against Rockefvs, they won 2-0.

Panorama FC, after sharing the spoils with Kathorus, rebounded with a 4-1 win over Joburg City, while Wits Junior claimed a closely contested 3-2 win over Seven’s Academy.

Also on Saturday, TS Galaxy and Jomo Cosmos picked up a point each after a 1-1 draw.

The University of Pretoria (Tuks) did double duty and performed admirably to bolster their points’ total by six after a narrow 1-0 win over the East Rand Athletic Club, which they followed with a 2-0 success against TS Galaxy.

RESULTS

Saturday, 6 September

Randburg AFC 2-0 School of Excellence
Kathorus 2-0 Rockefvs
Panorama 4-1 Joburg City
Highlands Park 4-1 SuperSport United
Mamelodi Sundowns 3-1 RESA
Wits 3-2 Sevens Academy
TS Galaxy 1-1 Jomo Cosmos
Tuks 1-0 East Rand Athletic Club
Kaizer Chiefs vs Elspark (Game cancelled due to bad weather)

Sunday, 7 September

Tuks 2-0 TS Galaxy
Highlands Park 1-0 Mamelodi Sundowns

After another weekend of dominance, Mamelodi Sundowns extended their advantage at the top of the u17 Gauteng Women’s Development League (GWDL) standings, thanks to a 10-0 thrashing of Remember Elite Sport Academy (RESA), on Sunday, at President Park, in Vereeniging.

It was a humbling experience for RESA, who tumbled to a third successive defeat, having previously gone down 0-3 to Panorama FC last weekend, and 0-2 to SAFA Academy the week before that.

RESA, who recently elevated key players, including Lesedi Motaung, Thuto Rathebe, Nthabeleng Molefi, Buhle Mthembu, and Mpumelelo Chabalala from the u17 GWDL team to their Sasol team, showed the impact of their absence. The new, young players who have taken over from them need to build up experience against the well-coordinated teams in the GWDL.

A team on the up is Refilwe FC, who defeated high-flying SAFA Academy last Sunday. Refilwe continued to build momentum by adding an impressive 5-1 victory over JVW FC to their record.

SAFA Academy, whose title aspirations suffered a big blow when they lost to Refilwe, got back on track with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Panorama FC.

Sundowns are well on course for the title. For SAFA Academy to come back into contention, they’ll need Sundowns to drop points, and they’ll also need to fire in plenty of goals while not conceding because the Brazilians have an outstanding goals-for and goals-against differential.

In other matches played on Sunday, Edenvale FC secured a tight 3-2 win over Hellenic Falcons, while the University of Pretoria (Tuks) returned to winning form with a 2-1 victory against Kempton Park.

GWDL Results 

Sunday 

Refilwe FC 5-1 JVW
Edenvale 3-2 Hellenic Falcons
Tuks 2-1 Kempton Park
Mamelodi Sundowns 10-0 RESA
SAFA Academy 3-2 Panorama FC

September and Spring begins with another highly anticipated weekend of action in the Gauteng Development League (GDL), with four of the top five teams facing one another.

Key matches among the front-runners on Saturday include Remember Elite Sport Academy (RESA) against Mamelodi Sundowns, at Clapham High School, in Pretoria, and Highlands Park against SuperSport United, at Balfour Park.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

In the lead-up to the RESA versus Sundowns match, SuperSport Schools Plus interviewed Sandile Mathumbo,  the Sporting Director and u19 coach of RESA.

As Sporting Director, Mathumbo and his team design the academy’s technical curriculum. He leads the coaching, technical, and support staff at RESA, overseeing the boys’ and girls’ development programmes and senior teams.

In the 2024 season, the RESA u19 side finished twelfth in the GDL, but their results are much improved in 2025. Mathumbo spoke about the shift in mindset that has delivered better results.

“If you look at the GDL, it’s always a four-to five-year cycle,” he said, “from the time a player is introduced into the academy set-up, when he is 13 or 14 years old. That player will then engage in the programme for the subsequent five years, until reaching the age of 19.

“Those who enter the programme early must navigate their developmental journey, and it is at the conclusion of this process that we can assess their readiness for advancement to higher leagues or professional environments”, he explained.

Over the past four-plus years, the young players have experienced positive development. Mathumbo attributed that to the coaches who have guided the players during that time.

The fruits of that development are now transparent at the u19 level, where the players are in the competitive phase of their growth.

“[In] the junior levels of the GDL, it’s mainly development and, therefore, you cannot judge the readiness of a player at 13 or 14, but when we get to u16 and above, it’s the competition phase.

“We start teaching the players how to implement tactics and how to win. It’s good to see that our boys, in terms of readiness, are showing hunger and performing strongly in certain competitions, including winning the Kings Cup, earlier this year.”

In 2025, RESA has now been in the mainstream of the GDL for four years. The value that they have derived from that experience has revealed itself, and it has also highlighted the excellent work being done at the club.

The GDL is a tough league, Mathumbo stated. “The top five teams – Highlands Park, Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United, Randburg AFC, and RESA – are competing for the league title this season.

“It’s going to be a cinematic end to the league. It’s going to be a blockbuster.

“In moments like these, a great deal is required from the players, particularly from the technical players, to ensure that we compete until the final day of the season,” Mathumbo explained.

Teaching the players how to win is essential, he added. However, they also require a smooth transition to the competitive stage of their development. “For this, it is necessary to have someone with a profound understanding [of the game’s demands], as pushing these boys into high competition without proper guidance can lead to detrimental effects.

“You need to understand that it’s a gradual transition, and we are lucky at RESA to have coaches that understand the phases of development,” Mathumbo told SuperSport Schools Plus.

RESA’s emphasis is on improving the performance of young players, including their psychological and tactical development – all of which contribute to the development of either a proficient or deficient player. If any of those elements is mismanaged during the developmental stage, it could result in an incomplete player or one who faces difficult psychological challenges.

Mathumbo said some of the club’s players will, at some point in their careers, undergo testing at a professional level. Consequently, when the young men have been nurtured to achieve success, some of the coaches are surprised by the players’ inability to maintain professionalism over an extended period of time.

At RESA, Mathumbo said, an emphasis is placed on performance factors during the developmental stages.

“A player like [PSL star] Thabang Monare, is a prime example of the players we are trying to create at RESA. He is never in the newspaper for wrong things, no bad publicity, always giving his all,” Mathumbo said.

“He treats his football as his career, and he knows that there will be life after football. He is business inclined. He gives back to the club, showing how wholesome he is as a human being.”

Monare, who is currently with Sekhukhune United, progressed through the ranks of RESA and, besides Sekhukhune United, has also represented Orlando Pirates, Bidvest Wits, Jomo Cosmos, and the South African national team, Bafana Bafana. He exemplifies the professionalism that they aspire to achieve at RESA, Mathumbo said.

Winning the GDL title would be a major milestone for the Vereenging-based club. Coach Mathumbo has emphasised that fact to his players, saying, too, that it is a major accomplishment to compete against some of the nation’s finest clubs, including their opponents on Saturday, Mamelodi Sundowns.

The match is anticipated to be a box office showdown. Even though Sundowns has home ground advantage, Mathumbo is expectingit to be a tough challenge for both outfits.

“We are two great teams. We both have to prepare. We are at the same level of competition, same level of talent,” he said.

Heading into the contest, Mathumbo likened himself and his RESA team to David with five stones.

“I’m the underdog. Obviously, Sundowns is a bigger organisation, but we are preparing hard. We have faced them a couple of times, and those have been tough games. It hasn’t been easy, even for them,” he reckoned.

It’s about delivering on the day, Mathumo stated. Sometimes, when both teams showcase their excellence, football is the winner.  When a memorable game is played, the outcome is secondary. What truly matters is that everyone remembers that game.

The RESA coach said his hope for Saturday’s clash is that an entertaining, evenly contested, and well officiated game unfolds.

“Because we are in competition, as a coach I hope we will come away with the much-needed points to close the gap,” he concluded. “We are in high spirits. The team is looking good.”

This weekend, the RESA girls’ team also tackles Sundowns at President Park in a Gauteng Women’s Development League (GWDL) game, on Sunday. Mathumbo said he will be closely monitoring their game and extended his best wishes to the team.

FIXTURES

Saturday, 6 September

14:00

Alex Stadium
TS Galaxy vs Jomo Cosmos

Tsakane Stadium
East Rand Athletic Stadium vs Tuks

Huntersfield Stadium
Kathorus Hyper Academy vs Rockefvs

Randburg Sports Complex
Panorama FC vs Joburg City

Marks Park
Wits Junior vs Sevens Academy

Balfour Park
Highlands Park vs SuperSport United

Kaizer Chiefs Village
Kaizer Chiefs vs Elspark United

15:00

Clapham High School
Mamelodi Sundowns vs RESA

Sunday, 7 September 

14:00 

Clapham High
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Highlands Park

Tuks Sports Ground
University of Pretoria (Tuks) vs TS Galaxy

The eagerly awaited third edition of the Gauteng Schools Wednesday Champions League kicked off on Wednesday at the Kagiso Memorial and Recreation Centre in Krugersdorp.

The league features a four-week period of intense participation from high-performing schools in the Gauteng province, who compete in three sporting codes: football, netball, and volleyball.

In 2024, Clapham High School, won the Iber Cup South Africa and the Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament. They also went back-to-back as the champion of the Gauteng Schools Wednesday Champions League football competition.

In the girls’ football category, Jabulile Secondary School achieved back-to-back titles.

The Gauteng Schools Wednesday Champions League is a proud initiative of the Gauteng Provincial Government, and its aim is to advance the development of school sports by focusing on increasing participation and creating opportunities for talent identification in school sports.

Boys’ Competition 

On Wednesday, in the boys’ football competition, Clapham High kicked off their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Ibongo Secondary School.

It was an unexpected start for the champions, who are accustomed to dominating their opponent. Ibongo, though, stood firm and were relentless in their efforts as they came away with a share of the spoils.

While Clapham was held to a draw, the School of Excellence soared, beating Mokgome Secondary 4-0 and Rutasetjhaba Secondary School 3-0.

Well beaten in their first outing, Mokgome regrouped and rebounded well, to hand Ibongo a 2-0 defeat in their second march.

On the first day of the tournament, Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sport School also excelled. They opened with a 3-0 victory over Rutasetjhaba and followed that with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Thuto Lefa Secondary School to come away with a full haul of six points.

In their second match, Thuto Lefa played to a 1-1 draw with Je Malepe Secondary School.

Girls’ Competition 

While Clapham High’s boys’ team made a stuttering start to their campaign, their girls’ side had no such problems, rattling the back of the net to the tune of 15 goals on the opening day without conceding.

They began their assignments with a 3-0 win over Jabulile Secondary School and then hit top gear in a 12-0 shellacking of Randfontein High.

Khanya Lesedi Secondary School got off to a difficult start, sharing a 1-1 draw with Buhle BemFundo before falling 1-2 to Jabulile Secondary.

Randfontein High, apart from their one-sided loss against Clapham, was also beaten 4-0 by Zithobeni Secondary School. Zithobeni, though, lost their second match, suffering a 1-2 loss to Anchor Independent Academy.

Then, against Tembisa High, Anchor Independent Academy couldn’t find the back of the net, but neither could Tembisa, and they settled for a goalless stalemate.

In the final match of the day, though, Tembisa High put four past Buhle Bemfundo as they ran out 4-1 winners.

Results – u17 Boys 

Rosina Sedibane 3-0 Rutasetjhaba
School of Excellence 4-0 Mokgome
Je Malepe 1-1 Thuto Lefa
Clapham High 1-1 Ibongo
School of Excellence 3-0 Rutasetjhaba
Rosina Sedibane 2-1 Thuto Lefa
Mokgome 2-0 Ibongo

Results – u17 Girls 

Clapham 3-0 Jabulile
Jabulile 2-1 Khaya Lesedi
Khaya Lesedi 1-1 Buhle BeMfundo
Clapham 12-0 Randfontein
Zithobeni 4-0 Randfontein
Tembisa High 4-1 Buhle BeMfundo
Tembisa High 0-0 Anchor
Anchor 2-1 Zithobeni

The Gauteng Women’s Development League (GWDL) is nearing its conclusion, and, on Sunday, another opportunity presents itself for teams to enhance their challenges.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools

The u17 Mamelodi Sundowns team is on the precipice of another GWDL title after increasing their advantage at the top to seven points over the second-placed SAFA Academy following a shock 2-3 setback last weekend for SAFA Academy against Refilwe FC.

On Sunday, while the SAFA Academy went down, Banyana Ba Style cruised to an impressive 7-0 victory in a derby match against the University of Pretoria (Tuks).

Sundowns have exceptional in front of goal in their 2025 campaign, netting an extraordinary 156 times while conceding only 19 goals. This Sunday, they continue their charge towards the title with a clash against Remember Elite Sport Academy (RESA), at President Park, in Vereeniging.

While the Brazilians are top of the table, RESA is in fifth place, but it’s arguably a bigger game for them than ‘Downs. That’s because RESA has seen a decline in their fortunes in recent outings.

Last Sunday, they went down 0-3 against Panorama FC. The week before that, they were beaten 2-0 by the SAFA Academy. If RESA was to lose against Sundowns, that would make it three losses in succession. That loss of momentum could be difficult to reverse.

Sundowns, meanwhile, will be invigorated after their big derby victory over Tuks, especially since SAFA Academy fell a further three points off the pace on the same weekend.

An intriguing clash awaits at the University of Pretoria Football Fields – Hillcrest Campus this weekend, where SAFA Academy takes on Panorama FC.

It’ll be a contest that will test both sides. For SAFA Academy, nothing less than a win will do as they attempt to reignite their title challenge. Panorama will head into the game buoyed and confident after their recent win over RESA.

Refilwe FC, fresh off their 3-2 victory over the SAFA Academy, will host JVW FC at Curro Hazeldean.

JVW heads into the game having edged out Edenvale FC 1-0 last time out. With both JVW and Refilwe on song, it’s one of the more compelling matches of the weekend.

Tuks will seek to recover from their heavy defeat against Sundowns when they tackle Kempton Park, who enjoyed a 6-1 win over Dinoko Rondebult in their most recent outing.

Edenvale takes on Hellenic Falcons at the JP Bezuidenhout Stadium, while Dinoko Rondebult welcomes Highlands Park to Dan Kutumela School.

FIXTURES

Sunday, 7 September

11:00

President Park
RESA vs Mamelodi Sundowns

11:30

University of Pretoria Football Fields (Hillcrest Campus)
SAFA Academy vs Panorama FC

Curro Hazeldean
Refilwe FC vs JVW

University of Pretoria
Tuks vs Kempton Park

Dan Kutumela School
Dinoko vs Highlands Park

JP Bezuidenhout Stadium
Edenvale FC vs Hellenic Falcons

There was plenty of action across the country over the past week and weekend, with a couple of trophies on the line in KwaZulu-Natal.

Girls’ Football  

Howick High hosted the third edition of the Midlands Cup, and it was St Anne’s Diocesan College, the winner of the Riverwood College aQuellé Soccer Festival in July, who added another trophy to their cabinet.

At Riverwood, they edged out Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High in a shootout in the final. At Howick, they scored a tight 1-0 win over the same opposition in the title game.

St Anne’s delivered resilient and focused performances, and they were exceptionally sharp in the group stage, banging home 17 goals before moving on to the semifinals.

Rewatch the U19 Girls Midlands Cup final featuring St Anne’s Diocesan and Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High.

There, they withstood a tough challenge from Kloof High, gritting their way to a 1-0 win to earn a place in the championship match.

Girls’ High, meanwhile, had an easier time in their semifinal, defeating Ixopo Secondary School 3-0 to make it into the final.

There was little to separate the teams, but St Anne’s, scored an all-important goal to come away with the win.

After an exceptional tournament, St Anne’s Tana Roques was awarded the Golden Boot for netting seven goals to help her team to the title.

India Dalrymple, also of St Anne’s, was named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament, while the tournament winners also had Musa Mnisi and Alexandra Bizarre named in the Team of the Tournament.

At just 17 years old, Mnisi is an exciting, emerging talent, who signed a professional contract earlier this year with Durban Ladies FC in the SAFA Women’s Super League, which is South Africa’s top women’s football league.

The runner-up, Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High, had five players – Nyaniso Khoza, Athi Radebe, Grace Shwala, Amile Nxumalo, and Akhona Hlophe – named in the Team of the Tournament. Hlophe was also named the Player of the Tournament.

The Midlands Cup featured 16 teams from the Midlands area, including sides from Ixopo and Greytown.

In Mpumalanga, in a derby battle, Penryn College recorded a 2-0 win over Uplands College.

Boys’ Football

On Saturday, in Pietermaritzburg, Durban High School (DHS) took on Maritzburg College on Barns Field, with the Raw Cup on the line. College held the trophy after a spectacular showdown in 2024, which finished 4-4 and then was decided in a penalty shootout, which went 4-2 in favour of the Red, Black, and White.

The match was highly entertaining. At one point, it appeared that DHS was on their way to a routine victory after they took a 2-0 lead by capitalising on College’s mistakes.

However, College is renowned for being tenacious and they showed why they were crowned the champion of the KZNHSFA Inland A-League in the second term by striking back to level the match.

A late goal, though, won it for DHS, and with that the trophy swopped hands.

In another exciting match, Glenwood High took on the 2025 Primo Big 10 champions, Hilton College.

Every year, Glenwood hosts a floating trophy match to pay tribute to the South African football legend and Glenwood Old Boy, Clive Barker. This year, the visitors were Hilton, who had succeeded the Green Machine as the Primo Big 10 champions.

The event also included an inspiring talk from Jes Foord, of the Jes Foord Foundation, which empowers rape survivors through awareness, education and support.

On Dixon’s Field, a closely contested battle finished goalless, but Glenwood triumphed 5-3 from the penalty spot to honour the legacy of “The Dog“.

Clive Barker’s legacy at the school also lives on in the u16 Clive Barker Festival, which was introduced in June and won by Pinetown Boys’ High.

In Pietermaritzburg, St Charles College followed up on a 1-0 win over Maritzburg College with another 1-0 victory, this time over Clifton College.

Northwood bagged a 2-1 victory over Michaelhouse to continue to build on an impressive run, while Alexandra High defeated Ixopo 2-1, and Kloof High also scored a 2-1 win when they met Kingsway High School.

It’s been a challenging third term for the champion of the KZNHSFA Coastal A-League, Westville Boys’ High, who were eliminated from the last 16 of the Mancosa KZNHSFA Cowie Cup last week by Alexandra High, which was followed by a 1-2 loss to Northwood on 22 August.

On Saturday, they had to come from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw with Kearsney College.

East London High Schools Football League

In the B Block of the BWFLA High Schools League, also known as the East London High Schools Football League, Dale College picked up a 2-0 victory over George Randell High on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Selborne College defeated the defending champion, Stutterheim High, 3-2.

On Friday, Cathcart High delivered an impressive performance against George Randell High, winning 5-1, while Dale College ran out 3-0 winners over Merrifield College.

In the Western Cape, Bishops Diocesan College claimed the St Andrew’s College Football title on Sunday. Earlier in the week, Bishops played to a 1-1 draw against Rondebosch Boys’ High.

In Gauteng, in a derby showdown, Jeppe High School for Boys secured a 3-0 win over King Edward VII School (KES) on Saturday.

RESULTS

B Block BWFLA/ East London High School Football League 

Tuesday, 26 August 

Dale College 2-0 George Randell High

Wednesday, 27 August 

Selborne College 3-2 Stutterheim High

Friday, 29 August 

Cathcart High 5-1 George Randell High
Dale College 3-0 Merrifield College

Western Cape 

Wednesday, 27 August 

Rondebosch Boys’ High 1-1 Bishops Diocesan College

KwaZulu Natal 

Saturday, 30 August 

St Charles College 1-0 Clifton College
Northwood 2-1 Michaelhouse
Kearsney College 2-2 Westville Boys’ High
Kloof High 2-1 Kingsway High
Alexandra High 2-1 Ixopo Secondary School

Clive Barker Floating Trophy

Glenwood (5) 0-0 (3) Hilton College

Raw Cup

Durban High School 3-2 Maritzburg College

Gauteng 

Jeppe 3-0 KES

Girls’ Football

Mpumalanga 

Penryn College 2-0 Uplands College

Midlands Cup 

Semifinals 

St Anne’s Diocesan College 1-0 Kloof High
Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School 3-0 Ixopo Secondary School

Final 

St Anne’s Diocesan College 1-0 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High

The weekend’s Gauteng Development League (GDL) action delivered many goals, but the log leaders, Mamelodi Sundowns, were held to a goalless draw by TS Galaxy, at Alex Stadium, on Sunday.

It was a big match for ‘Downs, who are in the thick of the title race alongside Highlands Park, Randburg AFC, Remember Elite Sport Academy (RESA), and SuperSport United.

In the lead-up to the weekend’s GDL fixtures, SuperSport Schools Plus spoke with the u19 coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, Kristopher Bergman on Friday.

He discussed the importance of fighting for every point in the GDL and emphasised that there are no gimmes in the league. TS Galaxy, he said, was a formidable team. He was right on the money as the sides settled for a share of the spoils and one point each.

RESA, another of the title contenders, was held to a 2-2 draw by East Rand Athletic Club on Saturday. SuperSport United, meanwhile, decisively defeated bottom of the table Elspark United Academy 5-0 at Curro Sagewood.

It was a dominant outing from SuperSport, who opened their account through Orifha Maubelo off an assist from Thokozani Mabena. Maubelo struck again to make it 2-0. This time, he was assisted by Tlotliso Makgai, who was again involved and set up Tshiamo Selemela for SuperSport’s third.

The exceptional Makgai made it a hat-trick of assists by aiding David Stober to score a fourth goal, and Stober made it a brace to complete the scoring, with Mpho Nteu laying on the scoring chance.

Coach Skhosiphi Mgobhozi’s team from Randburg AFC picked up a 2-0 victory over the University of Pretoria (Tuks), with Jason Oliver and Onaishe Nyasvimbo netting to tighten up the intensifying GDL title race.

The reigning champions, Highlands Park, had a hectic schedule, playing on both Saturday and Sunday, but they demonstrated their championship pedigree by emerging from that challenge with full points.

On Saturday, the Lions of the North edged out Joburg City 1-0, with Daniel Waisman scoring the match-winner. Then, on Sunday, they returned to the field and scored a 3-0 win over Tuks, who went down for the second time on the weekend.

In other matches, Jomo Cosmos played to a 1-1 draw to take points off of high-flying Kathorus Hyper Academy, who have been on an impressive winning streak. Sabelo Makhanya scored the only goal for EzeNkosi, while Ayabonga Dlamini found the back of the net for Kathorus.

In a thriller, Rockefvs and Panorama FC, went end-to-end in an entertaining 3-3 draw.

The School of Excellence, which has seemingly lost its edge in recent seasons, bagged a heartening win. Last week, they had suffered a heavy 1-4 defeat against Kaizer Chiefs. On Saturday, though, they walked away with a 3-1 victory over Wits Junior.

To their credit, Wits bounced back on Sunday with a resounding 3-0 victory over Joburg City, who suffered back-to-back defeats on the weekend.

Chiefs, meanwhile, picked up three points after a 4-2 win over Seven’s Academy.

RESULTS

Saturday, 30 August

Kathorus Hyper Academy 1-1 Jomo Cosmos
Rockefvs 3-3 Panorama FC
RESA 2-2 East Rand Athletic Club
Randburg AFC 2-0 Tuks
School of Excellence 3-1 Wits
Highlands Park 1-0 Joburg City
Kaizer Chiefs 4-2 Seven’s Academy
SuperSport United 5-0 Elspark United

Sunday, 31 August

Wits 3-0 Joburg City
Highlands Park 3-0 Tuks
Mamelodi Sundowns 0-0 TS Galaxy

After three days of captivating football at the St Andrew’s College Football Cup, in Makhanda, Bishops Diocesan College lifted the trophy after defeating Curro Wilgeheuwel in a penalty shootout in the final.

Both teams performed impressively in the group phase, played on Friday and Saturday, to finish atop their groups and secure their places in the title game.

It was a tight contest, finishing goalless, but when it went down to a shootout, Bishops excelled from the spot, scoring a decisive 3-0 win.

The Cape Town school enjoyed a superb showing at the tournament, picking up six wins and one draw from their seven matches. Only the St Andrew’s College B Team, who snared a 1-1 draw, stopped Bishops from attaining a perfect record.

Finishing as the runner-up was an outstanding but disappointing outcome for Curro Wilgeheuwel, of Roodepoort, after they showcased some dazzling and dominant football in Makhanda, which was highlighted by an astonishing 15-0 victory over Kingswood College.

When they needed it most, unfortunately for Curro Wilgeheuwel, their shooting deserted them as they missed three critical penalties, while the sharp shooters from Bishops converted their opportunities.

It marked the second time this season that Curro Wilgeheuwel had come up short in a title game. At the end of June, at the Waterstone College Super Cup, they fell 1-2 to Curro Thatchfield.

In the u15 section of the St Andrew’s College Football Cup, Jeppe High School for Boys scored a 2-1 victory over Bishops in a fiercely contested and entertaining final.

After the tournament concluded, St Andrew’s College utilised its social media platform to express heartfelt thanks to every school that participated in the event. They emphasised that the tournament would not have been as impactful without the commitment, enthusiasm, and competitive spirit demonstrated by all players, coaches, and supporters.

Team of the Tournament 

Hlumani Ntontela – St Andrew’s College
Keagile Mashile – St Benedict’s College
Ashton Wyatt – Bishops Diocesan College
Josh Rolfe – Bishops Diocesan College
Phathu Mulaudzi – St Benedict’s College
Sid Fishlock – St Andrew’s College
Rondo – Victoria Park High
Luniko Kepe – Joza Youth Hub
Luvo – Mrwetyana Secondary School
Boago Sello – Trinity House Glenvista
Tiago Kahn – Curro Wilgeheweul

The Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa Camp 2025, which was held in Rwanda, recently concluded at the BK Arena in Kigali, with 60 boys and girls participating in the camp.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) selected 60 boys and girls of high school age from 21 different countries in Africa to participate in the 21st BWB Africa camp, which took place from 23 to 26 August. This marked the inaugural occasion for the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach programme to be conducted in East Africa, following past editions held in Angola, Egypt, Senegal and South Africa.

Among the participants, three South Africans took part, including Siyabonga Mashaba from ESCA School Wanderers, who was selected as one of the top young and emerging athletes to represent the country at the BWB camp. Within the schools’ basketball scene, Mashaba is recognised as one of the elite young basketball players in South Africa and previously represented the nation at the Giants of Africa Festival, which took place from July to August in Rwanda.

The other two young athletes representing South Africa at the BWB camp were Enzokuhle Mweli and Liamisha Aboo.

Aboo, from Redhill School, was honoured with the Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award, while Mweli, from the American International School in Johannesburg (AISJ), won the Three-Point Contest. The last South African to win the contest in the girls’ division was Suzy Whall in 2023 in Johannesburg. Additionally, Mweli was named in the camp’s boys’ All-Star Team that same year.

After the camp, Mweli told NBA Africa Media that the BWB camp was highly educational, productive and extremely exciting for him, as he had the opportunity to learn from both players and coaches who have extensive experience in the sport.

“Some of the learnings that I gained from the camp were that it takes more than what you do on the court to become a pro, but rather what you do off the court, how you treat others, how you pay attention to little details. These are some of the small things done off the court that translate to what you achieve on the court,” Mweli told NBA Africa.

He believes that he has improved not only as a player on the court but also off the court, by making new friends from different countries and learning how to play with various individuals. He has also learned how to adjust himself emotionally.

The campers had the honour of being mentored by Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings, 1996/97 NBA All-Rookie Second Team member Kerry Kittles, 2005/06 NBA All-Rookie Second Team member Marvin Williams, Charlotte Hornets Head Coach Charles Lee, Indiana Pacers Assistant Coach Lloyd Pierce, and Minnesota Timberwolves Assistant Coach Micah Nori.

Utah Jazz Vice President of Global Scouting Luca Desta (Ethiopia), Toronto Raptors Director of Global Scouting & International Affairs Patrick Engelbrecht (South Africa), President of the World Association of Basketball Coaches Patrick Hunt (Australia), and Philadelphia 76ers Vice President of Player Personnel Prosper Karangwa (Rwanda) acted as directors for the BWB Africa camp.

Additionally, Raptors Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Jonathan Lee and LA Clippers Director of Medical Services and Head Athletic Trainer Jasen Powell contributed as the Camp’s Sports Performance Coaches.

The players and coaches led the campers through a variety of activities, including movement efficiency drills, offensive and defensive skill stations, three-point contests, 5-on-5 games, and life skills and leadership development sessions.

During the camp, both players and coaches engaged in social responsibility initiatives, which included a wheelchair basketball clinic in partnership with the Rwandan Basketball Federation (FERWABA) and a clinic for 100 elderly women in collaboration with the international sport-for-development organisation Shooting Touch on Sunday, 24 August. Additionally, a coaching clinic and the Her Time to Play leadership workshop were conducted for the female campers on Monday, 25 August.

BWB Africa 2025 received support from Nike, a global partner of BWB since 2002.

Over the years, BWB has made an impact through its groundwork and continues to do so. Since 2001, BWB has reached over 4,600 participants from 144 countries and territories, with 142 former campers being drafted into the NBA and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) or signed as free agents.

Since the inaugural BWB Africa camp in 2003, 14 former campers have been selected to play in the NBA and WNBA, including Joel Embiid, the 2023 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player from the Philadelphia 76ers (Cameroon, BWB Africa 2011); Pascal Siakam, the 2019 NBA champion from the Indiana Pacers (Cameroon, BWB Africa 2012); and Khaman Maluach, the 2025 No. 10 overall pick from the Phoenix Suns (South Sudan with ties to Uganda, BWB Africa 2023).

Additionally, 72 former BWB Africa campers have appeared on the rosters of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) during the league’s first five seasons.

Awards

Girls All-Stars:

1. 1. Fatoumata Sall (Senegal)
   2. Maimouna Traore (Mali)
   3. Tahina Rasata-Andriamasy (Madagascar)
   4. Couda Keita (Mali)
   5. Ines Boulboul (Morocco)
   6. Assitan Diarisso (Mali)
   7. Lala Toure (Mali)
   8. Malak Elhemaly (Egypt)

Boys All-Stars:

1. 1. Mohamed Badiane (Senegal)
   2. Pape Moussa Diallo (Senegal)
   3. Sean Williams (Rwanda)
   4. Noah El Baze (Morocco)
   5. Rami Malek (Egypt)
   6. Belal Mabrouk (Egypt)
   7. Enzokuhle Mweli (South Africa)
   8. Almoustapha Hama Ide (Niger)

Three-Point Champion:

1. 1. Girls: Malak Elhemaly (Egypt)
   2. Boys: Enzokuhle Mweli (South Africa)

B.J. Johnson Most Improved Player:

1. 1. Girls: Alexandra Djonkou (Cameroon)
   2. Boys: Mohamed Niane (Senegal)

Defensive Most Valuable Player:

1. 1. Girls: Malak Elhemaly (Egypt)
   2. Boys: Mohamed Badiane (Senegal)

Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award:

1. 1. Girls: Liamisha Aboo (South Africa)
   2. Boys: Chibueze Okechukwu (Nigeria)

Most Valuable Player:

1. 1. Girls: Maimouna Traore (Mali)
   2. Boys: Pape Moussa Diallo (Senegal)