Author: sipongco

The stage is set for Championship Sunday at the Jenny Orchard Invitational Tournament, being played at Maritzburg College, after a dramatic third day of action.

Saturday’s showdowns included some shocking results, including the elimination of the previously unbeaten Soweto Basketball Academy from title contention.

Quarterfinals 

They had been untroubled in sweeping through Pool B with ease, but they ran into a motivated Westville Boys’ High team in the quarterfinals and the KZN side recorded an impressive 82-68 win.

Westville had finished in second place in Pool D, while the Soweto Basketball Academy had topped Pool B, crushing Rondebosch Boys’ High by 72 points, Saheti School by 84, and Northwood by 54. But they were outmaneuvered by their rivals in the quarterfinals.

The reigning champions, Maritzburg College, advanced to the semi-finals with remarkable ease following a decisive win over Pinelands High School. The Capetonians gave it their all but were unable to cope with College’s high-pressure game, which led to a convincing 89-49 victory and a place in the semi-finals for The Red, Black, and White.

Michaelhouse also moved on to the semis with an emphatic 53-37 defeat of Kearsney College, who had topped their pool with a clean record of three wins from three matches. They were joined in the final four by ESCA, who took down Northwood by a 64-25 margin. It was an easy win, but Northwood’s frontline side is defending the St John’s Basketball Tournament title.

Semifinals

Maritzburg College faced Michaelhouse for a third time this season in the Alan Paton Memorial Hall, with a place in the final of the Jenny Orchard Invitational on the line. They had previously cruised to a 93-57 win and then beat ‘House 45-39 in their first outing of the event.

Once more, College came out on top. This time there were 10 points in it, with the home side scoring a 54-44 victory.

They’ll face Westville in the gold medal match after the Griffin took down ESCA 65-54 in their semi-final. That win marked a big turnaround from an earlier meeting between the sides in Pool D, which ESCA had won by 21 points, 50-29.

RESULTS

Playoff 9-16

Westerford  (A3) 52-30 Kingswood College (C4)
Clifton College (C3) 54-46 Wynberg Boys’ High (A4)
SACS (B3) 48-32 Rondebosch Boys’ High (D4)
Durban High School (B4) 77-39 Saheti School (D3)

Quarterfinals 

Maritzburg College (A1) 89-49 Pinelands High School (C2)
Michaelhouse (A2) 53-37 Kearsney College (C1)
Westville Boys’ High School (D2) 82-68 Soweto Basketball Academy (B1)
ESCA (D1) 64-25 Northwood School

Playoff 13-16

L25 vs L27: Wynberg Boys’ High 76-36 Kingswood College
L26 vs L28: Rondebosch Boys’ High 55-45 Saheti School

Playoff 9-12

W25 vs W27: Clifton College 52-48 Westerford
W26 vs W28: Durban High School 68-45 SACS

Playoff 5-8

L29 vs L31: Kearsney College 70-53 Pinelands High
L30 vs L32: Soweto Basketball Academy 76-44 Northwood School

Semifinals 

Maritzburg College 52-44 Michaelhouse
Westville Boys’ High School 65-54 ESCA

Sunday Fixtures 

Playoff 11-12

08:00: Alan Paton 2, Westerford (L35) vs SACS (L36)

Playoff 9-10

08:00: Alan Paton 1: Clifton College (W35) vs Durban High School (W36)

Playoff 7-8

09:30: Alan Paton 2, Pinelands High (L38) vs Northwood School (L40)

Playoff 5-6

09:30: Alan Paton 1, Kearsney College (W38) vs Soweto Basketball Academy (W40)

Playoff 3-4

11:00: Alan Paton 2: Michaelhouse (L37) vs ESCA (L39)

Final 

12:30: Alan Paton 1, Maritzburg College (W37) vs Westville Boys’ High School (W39)

With the knockout stages beckoning, the second day of the Jenny Orchard Invitational brought with it a necessity for teams with designs on the title to make a statement. The hosts and reigning champions, Maritzburg College, did that.

They built upon their strong performance on the opening day with improved showings against two Western Cape opponents.

Enjoying their time in the Alan Paton Memorial Hall, the Red, Black, and White team scored an outstanding 188 points across two matches on Friday, against Wynberg Boys’ High and Westerford.

Neither of the Cape Town schools was able to contend with College’s fierce fierce defensive pressure. They turned the ball over frequently and the home side made them pay with assured finishing. Wynberg was the first to fall, going down 34-84, but it was even worse for Westerford, with College powering their way to a substantial 104-21 victory.

In another entertaining Pool A match, Michaelhouse found their momentum and finished well after halftime to down Westerford 74-42. They, too, beat Wynberg Boys’ High, with a 54-31 win ensuring they move on to the quarterfinals. ‘House had fallen 39-45 to Maritzburg College on Thursday.

In Pool B, much like Maritzburg College, the Soweto Basketball Academy emerged as a formidable contender for the Jenny Orchard Invitational title by maintaining their winning streak, and they, too, did it in dominating style.

Rondebosch Boys’ High was the first to fall, outplayed 96-24. Then, Saheti School was blasted 109-25, which was the most lopsided result of the day. In a similar fashion to College, the Soweto Basketball Academy lived off of forcing turnovers high up the court with man-to-man pressure, which resulted in easy baskets.

Northwood School, playing with a second-string lineup while their first team attempts to successfully defend the St John’s Basketball Tournament title, was pummelled by the Soweto Basketball Academy on day one, but they came back to secure two wins on Friday. It was close, though.

Northwood edged out Saheti 56-54 and then won by three points against Rondebosch, claiming a 48-45 victory.

Kearsney College and Pinelands High School, from Pool C, have advanced to the knockout stages of the competition. Kearsney compiled a clean record during the group stage, with Friday bringing them a 54-point win over Kingswood College, 86-32. It’s been a tough time for Kingswood, who have yet to taste victory in the event.

Pinelands gave Kearsney a good game before going down 57-63. They rebounded with an important 67-40 victory over Clifton College to secure their place in the last eight. Clifton enjoyed a comfortable win over Kingswood College, running out 72-46 winners.

Pool D witnessed the progression of ESCA and Westville Boys’ High School to the quarterfinals. ESCA secured clear-cut victories in all three of their group matches, while Westville triumphed in two out of three games.

Notably, when they met on Friday, ESCA dominated, scoring a convincing 50-29 win. Later in the day, ESCA saw off Durban High School (DHS), again emphatically, winning 57-31.

Westville, who would have been disappointed with their showing against ESCA, beat South African College School (SACS) 58-51. DHS also beat the Capetonians, winning by 12 points, 50-38.

RESULTS

Pool A

Michaelhouse 74-42 Westerford
Maritzburg College 84-34 Wynberg Boys’ High
Michaelhouse 54-31 Wynberg Boys’ High
Maritzburg College 104-21 Westerford

Pool B 

Soweto Basketball Academy 96-24 Rondebosch Boys’ High
Northwood School 56-54 Saheti School
Soweto Basketball Academy 109-25 Saheti School
Northwood School 48-45 Rondebosch Boys’ High

Pool C 

Clifton College 72-46 Kingswood College
Kearsney College 63-57 Pinelands High School
Kearsney College 86-32 Kingswood College
Pinelands High School 67-40 Clifton College

Pool D

Durban High School 50-38 South African College School (SACS)
ESCA 50-29 Westville Boys’ High School
ESCA 57-31 Durban High School
Westville Boys’ High School 59-51 South African College School (SACS)

Saturday Fixtures 

Playoff 9-16

Alan Paton 1

08:00: Westerford (A3) vs Kingswood College (C4)
09:30: Wynberg Boys’ High (A4) vs Clifton College (C3)

Alan Paton 2

08:00: Rondebosch Boys’ High (B3) vs SACS (D4)
09:30: Saheti School (B4) vs Durban High School (D3)

Quarterfinals 

Alan Paton 1

11:00: Maritzburg College (A1) vs Pinelands High School (C2)
12:30: Kearsney College (C1) vs Michaelhouse (A2)

Alan Paton 2

11:00: Soweto Basketball Academy (B1) vs Westville Boys’ High School (D2)
12:30: ESCA (D1) vs Northwood School (B2)

The fourth edition of the Jenny Orchard Invitation Tournament kicked off on Thursday at Maritzburg College, with some standout performances from, among others, the hosts and defending champions, Maritzburg College, the Soweto Basketball Academy, and Pinelands High School.

Maritzburg College made a flying start against Michaelhouse, but, credit to ‘House, they fought back strongly in the second half of the contest to make it close, with the Red, Black, and White eventually winning 45-39.

In Pool A’s other game, it was a Cape Town clash between Westerford and Wynberg Boys’ High, with Westerford holding on for a 47-45 win.

Last year’s runners-up, Northwood School, were resoundingly beaten by the Soweto Basketball Academy, who rolled to a 92-38 win in Pool B. The Knights, though, have their 1st team in action at the St John’s College Basketball Tournament, where they are the defending champions. Nonetheless, it was an impressive performance from the Soweto Basketball Academy, who finished fifth in last year’s Jenny Orchard Invitation Tournament.

Rondebosch Boys’ High scored a narrow 54-52 victory over Saheti School in Pool B’s other game.

The current frontrunner in Pool D, ESCA, delivered a commanding performance against South African College High School (SACS) in the opening match, scoring a decisive victory of 70-40. It was a strong showing, but more will be revealed about ESCA when they face Westville Boys’ High in their second outing.

Westville shone against Durban High School (DHS), powering their way to a 61-36 win over a more than useful outfit. Earlier in the season, Westville won against Maritzburg College at College, and that suggests they’ll be in the mix for the title at the end of the tournament.

In Pool C, Kearsney College held off a strong challenge from Clifton College, winning by only six points, while Pinelands cruised to a 36-point win over Kingswood College.

RESULTS

A Division 

Pool A

Maritzburg College 45-39 Michaelhouse
Westerford 47-45 Wynberg Boys’ High

Pool B

Soweto Basketball Academy 92-38 Northwood School
Rondebosch Boys’ High 54-52 Saheti School

Pool C

Kearsney College 56-50 Clifton College
Pinelands High School 78-42 Kingswood College

Pool D

Westville Boys’ High School 61-36 Durban High School
ESCA 70-40 South African College High School (SACS)

Rain and lightning in Johannesburg impacted the St Stithians u16 Basketball Tournament on Saturday, leading to the organisers adjusting the fixtures. St Benedict’s College and St Peter’s College took those changes in their stride and won the boys’ and girls’ titles respectively.

With games delayed, most matches were rescheduled to Saturday evening, and when the adverse weather conditions continued into Sunday the final day of the tournament was moved from outdoors at St Stithians College to indoors at the Brixton Multipurpose Centre.

St Benedict’s College emerged victorious in the boys’ championship after delivering an outstanding performance in the final against St John’s College. Bennies dominated and powered their way to a decisive 51-32 victory.

They were also convincing winners of their semi-final on Sunday, handing the St Stithians College u16A team a 45-30 loss.

St John’s and St Stithians were considered among the tournament favorites based on their earlier performances. St John’s, though, was pushed to the limit by Michaelhouse in the semi-finals, scraping a hard-fought 45-43 victory.

In the bronze playoff for third place, the hosts, St Stithians College, concluded the tournament on a positive note, securing a medal by narrowly defeating Michaelhouse 28-26.

In the girls’ competition, St Peter’s College defeated the International School of South Africa (ISSA) 31-23 to capture the title after a highly competitive three days of action.

In a challenging semi-final match, St Peter’s dealt with the hosts, St Stithians, triumphing 35-25. ISSA reached the final after defeating the Saheti School A Team 46-35.

The St Stithians Girls’ College team emulated the Saints’ boys’ team by finishing third, beating the Saheti School A Team 22-18 in the bronze medal playoff.

Final Standings, All-Star Players and MVPs

Boys 

Gold Medal: St Benedict’s College
Silver Medal: St John’s College
Bronze Medal: St Stithians College

Girls

Gold Medal: St Peter’s College
Silver Medal: ISSA
Bronze Medal: St Stithians College

Boys’ All-Stars

Josh Ogboro (St Stithians College no.238)
Max Vries (Michaelhouse no. 223)
Elu Araia (St Benedict’s College no. 15)
Tiri Pasipanodya (St John’s College no. 13)
Boys: Redirile Magoro (St Benedict’s College no. 47)

Girls’ All Stars

Ntsakisi Makhuba (Saheti School A Team no. 9)
Jenna Garbini (St Stithians College no. 59)
Kaiyushka Kisten (St Peter’s College no. 4)
Haizel Tukei (ISSA no.27)
Girls: Phenyo Mabotja (St Peter’s College no. 24)

MVP Players 

Boys: Redirile Magoro (St Benedict’s College no. 47)
Girls: Phenyo Mabotja (St Peter’s College no. 24)

Saturday Results 

Boys

Quarterfinals 

Michaelhouse 57-45 Michael Mount
St Benedict’s College 52-45 Maritzburg College
St John’s College 36-33 St David’s Marist Inanda
St Stithians College 46-14 Hilton College

Girls

Quarterfinals

St Peter’s College 23-8 St Dunstan’s College
St Stithians College 25-2 DSG (Makhanda)
Saheti School A Team 19-18 Rand Tutorial College
ISSA 26-15 St Mary’s Waverley

Sunday Results 

Boys’ results 

Semi-finals 

St John’s College 45-43 Michaelhouse
St Benedict’s College 45-30 St Stithians College

Boys’ Bronze Playoff

St Stithians College 28-26 Michaelhouse

Boys’ Final 

St Benedict’s College 51-32 St John’s College

Girls’ results 

Semi-finals 

St Peter’s College 35-25 St Stithians College
ISSA 46-35 ISSA

Girls’ Bronze Playoff

St Stithians College 22-18 Saheti School A Team

Girls’ Final 

St Peter’s College 31-23 ISSA

Prestige Football Development Academy, based in Roodepoort, has made waves by announcing the appointment of former Bafana Bafana midfielder Benedict Vilakazi as its new head coach.

Vilakazi, popularly known as “Tso” and “Little Napoleon“, brings extensive experience to the academy, which is currently competing in the Gauteng Development League‘s B stream.

He was born in Diepkloof, Soweto, and apart from the 31 caps he earned for the South African national team, Vilakazi played for, among others, top South African clubs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. He is Orlando Pirates’ all-time leading goal scorer, with 58 goals to his name.

In a recent press statement, Prestige Football Development Academy said Vilakazi’s vision perfectly complements their commitment to the growth of young players. “We look forward to an exciting journey under him and we can’t wait to see the positive impact he will have on our players,” the statement read.

Speaking at the academy earlier this week, Vilakazi described his motivation as a coach: “I’m here at the Prestige Academy, where I think and I believe that I’m going to add value to the academy, and I am looking forward [to doing that] because one thing that is in me is that I want to build a player, possibly like me, because it’s been years of not seeing midfielders that create chances and score goals.

“So, that’s my mission. Personally, that is what I want to do. And with the academy itself, we’ve got a programme that we want to develop players that will play at the highest level.”

Prestige Football Development Academy has also partnered with German Bundesliga club FSV Mainz 05 in a relationship that is aimed at developing local talent and providing them with opportunities to compete at the highest level, both domestically and internationally.

“The agreement with Mainz is we’re going to have players from here at Prestige going overseas to play in Germany,” Vilakazi said.

His responsibilities as the head coach of the Prestige Football Development Academy involve establishing a framework, a philosophy, and a culture that will key the academy’s successes.

Vilakazi said that as a qualified coach, he possesses the expertise to nurture player development. His role at the Prestige Football Development Academy, he said, is to ensure a promising future for the young talent within the academy.

The u16 Stithians College Basketball Tournament tipped off on Friday, welcoming players from all across South Africa, and from neighbouring Eswatini and Botswana.

Boys’ competition

In the boys’ competition, some teams made a significant impact on day one, including Hilton College, St Alban’s College, King Edward VII School (KES), Michaelhouse, St Benedict’s College, St David’s Marist Inanda, and Kearsney College.

In Pool A, St David’s Marist Inanda went three for three to finish the day with a full haul of six points. Their group includes a formidable line-up, with, among others, St Benedict’s College, Kearsney College, and the defending champions, Westville Boys’ High School.

St David’s started their campaign with a 34-25 win against Parktown Boys’ High School and then laid down a marker by outplaying Westville Boys’ High 39-19. They ran into tough opposition from Kearsney College and scraped a 35-34 win in their third outing.

After day one in Pool A, St Benedict’s College and Kearsney are in second and third positions respectively, each with five points.

The front runners in Pool B are KES and Michaelhouse. Both have six points after three wins each, with KES on top of the table on points’ difference.

They overran St Peter’s College 47-19 and cruised to a 38-17 victory over Maru-a-Pula, from Botswana. St Charles College made KES battle hard, but the Johannesburg school pulled off a 36-30 win in the end.

Michaelhouse took down St Charles, winning 30-23. They beat St Peter’s 32-21, and held off St Stithians u16A, winning 38-32.

Saints, though, are hot on ‘House’s heels, having earned five points.

St Alban’s College tops Pool C after day one, but their record was not unblemished. They’re on five points, but so, too, is St John’s College. They’ll be wary of Maritzburg College, though.

The KZN side played only twice on Friday but charged to a 65-13 defeat of Eswatini’s Usutu Forest International and edged out St John’s 43-41.

Usutu Forest and Pretoria Boys High prop up the table with two points apiece.

Hilton College is in a commanding position in Pool D after racking up three victories from three starts. They decisively defeated the St Stithians College u15A team 31-19. St George’s College, of Zimbabwe, pushed them hard, but Hilton won 35-28, and they completed their day’s schedule by beating St Andrew’s College by the same score.

Girls’ competition

On day one of the girls’ competition, the hosts, St Stithians, emerged as one the leading contenders.

Playing in Pool B, Saints is up against the International School of South Africa (ISSA), Kingswood College, and Redhill School. After two wins – by 16-6 over Redhill and 28-13 over ISSA – the home team tops the standings.

ISSA and Kingswood picked up a win and a loss each. Kingswood narrowly defeated Redhill 10-8 but went down 14-26 to ISSA. Redhill finished the day winless.

Pool A is intriguing after both St Peter’s College and the Saheti School A Team picked up two wins apiece. They meet at 10:00 on Saturday morning.

St Peter’s College scored a comfortable 31-7 win over Trinity House Glenvista in their first match and then outlasted Michael Mount Waldorf 29-20. Saheti’s victories against the same opponents were tighter. They beat Trinity House 23-14 and narrowly overcame Michael Mount 25-22.

In Pool C, Rand Tutorial College ended Friday with a sparkling clean record. They decisively defeated St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) 38-8 and St Dunstan’s College 43-18.

St Mary’s occupies second place in the pool after a 15-9 win over Marist Brothers Linmeyer.

St Mary’s Waverley is top of pool D after a couple of convincing victories on Friday. They overpowered The King’s School Linbro Park 34-4 in their opener and then kept their opposition to single figures again, dominating the Saheti School B Team 21-5.

Diocesan School for Girls (Makhanda) played only once and triumphed 37-13 over St Mary’s DSG.

Boys’ results

Pool A

St David’s 34-25 Parktown Boys
Kearsney College 41-27 Falcon College
St Benedict’s College 39-17 Westville Boys’ High
Kearsney College 34-35 St David’s
Westville Boys’ High 25-16 Falcon College
St Benedict’s College 36-28 Parktown Boys
St David’s 28-25 St Benedict’s College
Parktown Boys 51-25 Falcon College
Kearsney College 37-34 Westville Boys’ High
St David’s 35-34 Kearsney College

Pool B

St Stithians College 37-11 Maru-a-Pula
Michaelhouse 30-23 St Charles College
KES 47-19 St Peter’s College
KES 38-17 Maru-a-Pula
Michaelhouse 32-21 St Peter’s College
St Stithians College 44-19 St Charles College
KES 36-30 St Charles College
Maru-a-Pula 28-16 St Peter’s College
Michaelhouse 38-32 St Stithians College

Pool C

St John’s College 39-27 St Alban’s College
Maritzburg College 65-13 Usutu Forest
St John’s College 39-34 Pretoria Boys
St Alban’s College 39-14 Usutu Forest
St Alban’s College 32-22 Pretoria Boys
Maritzburg College 43-41 St John’s College

Pool D

Michael Mount 24-17 St George’s College
St Andrew’s College 36-28 Jeppe Boys
Hilton College 31-19 St Stithians College u15A
Jeppe Boys 57-35 Michael Mount
Hilton College 35-28 St George’s College
Hilton College 35-28 St Andrew’s College
Michael Mount 27-15 St Stithians u15A
St George’s College 37-25 Jeppe Boys

Girls’ results 

Pool A

Saheti A 25-22 Michael Mount
St Peter’s College 31-7 Trinity House
St Peter’s College 29-20 Michael Mount
Saheti A 23-14 Trinity House

Pool B 

ISSA 26-14 Kingswood College
St Stithians College 16-6 Redhill
Kingswood College 10-8 Redhill
St Stithians College 28-13 ISSA

Pool C

Rand Tutorial 37-8 St Mary’s DSG
St Mary’s DSG 15-9 Marist Brothers
Rand Tutorial 43-18 St Dustin’s College
St Dustin’s College 21-16 Marist Brothers

Pool D

St Mary’s Waverley 34-4 The King’s Linbro
DSG (Makhanda) 37-13 St Mary’s DSG
St Mary’s Waverley 21-5 Saheti B

Banyana Banyana will face Lesotho at the University of Johannesburg Soweto Campus in international friendly matches on 22 and 25 February, with a squad featuring promising young talents.

In the last two years, in South African football, an increasing number of young footballers, both male and female, have been given opportunities to showcase their skills at club and international levels

The willingness of coaches to trust younger players to rise to the challenges has brought with it a sense of optimism and excitement about the futures of Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana, the nation’s senior national teams.

Among the promising players that have caught the eye is Katlego Malebana, a top talent from Mamelodi Sundowns, who was loaned to Tuks part-way through the 2024 Hollywoodbets Super League. She excelled and was included as a member of the SuperSport Schools Class of 2024 and also earned the title of GSport4girls School Sport Star of the Year.

Malebana, who rose through the ranks at Sundowns, is one of the brightest talents to have come through the Gauteng Women’s Development League (GWDL), which was established in 2023.

The GWDL continues to thrive and, in 2025, it enters its third season. Mondli Dube, an administrator with both the South African Football Association (Safa) and GWDL, told SuperSport Schools Plus that there are plans to broaden the league by introducing additional age groups – u13, u15, and u17.

In 2024, the GWDL had two age categories, u14 and u16. Malebana’s selection for the national team demonstrates the positive impact of development initiatives and local leagues, like the GWDL, which are dedicated to advancing women’s football.

In a remarkable 2024, she also led the South African team to victory in the u15 CAF African Schools Football Tournament in Zanzibar.

She concluded 2024 on a triumphant note, winning the inaugural IberCup South Africa with Tuks after a decisive 5-1 win from the spot against JVW Girls Football Development, following a 1-1 draw in regular time.

As Malebana continues her successful trajectory and development, her latest achievement is a call-up to the South African national team by the Banyana Banyana coach, Dr. Desiree Ellis.

Malebana is among a group of players who participated in the u17 Cosafa Championship last December, which has been summoned to the senior national side.

The group also includes Bonolo Mokoma. Recently JVW announced her promotion from their Sasol League team to the first team, along with Reitumetse Mosuoe and Mphelo Thorisho. All three players represented JVW in the Sasol League in 2024.

In a press statement, JVW said the promotion of the trio reflects the ongoing success of their player development programmes, with the three demonstrating outstanding growth and dedication.

“Their promotion reflects our dedication to nurturing homegrown talent and providing opportunities for players to step up and make an impact at the highest level,” JVW stated.

Other young players who have been called up to the national team include Tanna Hollis and Katleho Mohame, who are also from JVW, and Nobahle Mdelwa who has joined the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in the Hollywoodbets Super League. She joins her UJ team-mate, Adrielle Mibe, in the national set-up.

Another promising young talent, Khwezi Khoza, who, like the others, has represented South Africa at junior levels in Cosafa competitions, was also summoned by coach Ellis.

Ellis, who played 600 club games in her career, and 32 internationals, explained her decision to go with a youthful line-up for the two matches against Lesotho.

“We are always watching players and have been impressed with the group we have called in for these two matches,” she said. “As you see, some are from the Cosafa Championships played last year, some are currently part of the u17 national team and will have an opportunity to learn from the senior team while they prepare for their World Cup qualifiers.”

Another member of the young faction is 19-year-old Kesha Hendricks, who plays for the University of Fort Hare in the Hollywoodbets Super League. She made her debut for Banyana Bayana against Namibia at the 2024 Cosafa Championship, on 22 October last year.

Hendricks caught the eye when she scored a hat-trick in an impressive 8-1 win over The Seychelles, during which she showcased her skills and finishing to a wide audience

In response to her selection, Hendricks told the University of Fort Hare media team” “A national call-up means a lot to me because I am going to represent my country.”

 

Banyana Banyana Squad to face Lesotho. 

Name and Surname	Club	Province
Goalkeepers
1.     Jessica Williams	Badgers	Western Cape
2.     Casey Gordon	JVW FC	Gauteng
3.     Asa Rabalao	Mamelodi Sundowns	Gauteng
4.     Mbali Ntimeni	Mamelodi Sundowns	Gauteng
5.     Matshidiso Masebe	University of Johannesburg	Gauteng
6.     Katlego Moletsane	University of Western Cape	Western Cape
7.     Siphesihle Dlamini	University of Western Cape	Western Cape
8.     Dineo Magagula	TS Galaxy	Mpumalanga
Defenders
9.     Ntando Phahla	University of Pretoria	Gauteng
10.  Portia Masilela	University of Johannesburg	Gauteng
11.  Bonolo Makoma	JVW FC	Gauteng
12.  Yomelelo Jacobs	TS Galaxy	Gauteng
13.  Sikelelwa Mhlanga	City Lads	Eastern Cape
14.  Unathi Simayile	University of Western Cape	Western Cape
15.  Yolanda Nduli	University of Johannesburg	Gauteng
Midfielders
16.  Okuhle Sithole	Durban Ladies FC	KwaZulu-Natal
17.  Mmabatho Mogale	University of Western Cape	Western Cape
18.  Nondumiso Manengela	University of Western Cape	Western Cape
19.  Isabella Ludwig	N/A	N/A
20.  Katlego Malebana	Mamelodi Sundowns	Gauteng
21.  Sibongile Ntoane	TUT – Matsatsantsa FC	Gauteng
22.  Thato Mofolo	University of Johannesburg	Gauteng
23.  Kesha Hendricks	University of Fort Hare	Eastern Cape
24.  Adrielle Mibe	University of Johannesburg	Gauteng
Forwards
25.  Katleho Mohale	JVW FC	Gauteng
26.  Khoza Khwezi	Durban Ladies FC	KwaZulu-Natal
27.  Tshegofatso Motlogelwa	TUT- Matsatsantsa	Gauteng
28.  Mavis Maiacane	Super Strikers FC	Mpumalanga
29.  Nobahle Mdelwa	University of Johannesburg	Gauteng
30.  Tanna Hollis	JVW FC	Gauteng

 

The draw for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) u17 Tournament and u20 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) was held in Egypt on Thursday.

At the event, South Africa’s u17 and u20 national teams learned who they will face in their groups at the continental showpieces.

South Africa, the u20 Cosafa champions, known as Amajita, will face a tough challenge at the forthcoming u20 Afcon, which will be played in Côte d’Ivoire from 26 April to 18 May.

Amajita sealed their place at the tournament by putting together a clean record at the u20 Cosafa Championship in Maputo last October, where they finished a decisive 2-0 victory over Zambia in the final.

South Africa has been drawn in what has been termed “The Group of Death”, Group B. It also includes Egypt, Morocco, and Nigeria, all established powers of the game in Africa.

Raymond Mdaka, the Head Coach of Amajita, after seeing the draw, said he is confident that South Africa is ready to confront their group opponents.

“We long waited for the draw, just for us to know where we are, who we’re playing. We knew the teams that had already qualified for Afcon, but we wanted to check where we are, and we’ve seen the draw,” Mdaka said.

“I think all the teams, because they’ve qualified, need respect of some kind. We are fine with the group that we have. We’ll prepare ourselves and be ready to play.”

Group A features the hosts, Côte d’Ivoire, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, and the winner of the Central African Football Federations’ Union 2 (UNIFFAC) tournament, which is currently underway.  Group C includes Senegal, Zambia, Kenya, and Sierra Leone.

Vela Khumalo, the Head Coach of the South African u17 National Team, said his side had been drawn in a “very interesting group” for Afcon. South Africa is in Group B, where Amajimbos will tackle Burkina Faso, Egypt, and the winners of the ongoing UNIFFAC tournament in Central Africa.

The u17 Afcon tournament will be held in Morocco from 30 March to 19 April. It’s a competition that carries with it important consequences, with places at the 2025 FIFA u17 World Cup, which takes place in Qatar later this year, up for grabs.

Group A’s line-up includes Morocco, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia, while Group C is made up of Senegal, The Gambia, Somalia, and Tunisia.

The anticipation is almost over and the time for action is imminent for the participants in the u16 St Stithians College Basketball Tournament, which takes place from Friday, 14 February, to Sunday, 16 February.

Expectations are high for dynamic and intense competition, and memorable experiences on the court, with many of the country’s leading basketball-playing schools taking part in the prestigious event.

“The St Stithians u16 Basketball Tournament is one of the premium events on the high school basketball calendar.

“St Stithians hosts 16 girls’ teams from across the country, while there are 24 boys’ teams, including teams from Botswana and Eswatini,” the Sports Director at St Stithians Girls’ College, Ngoza Phiri-Mazarura, told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“The event is an opportunity to showcase a snippet of the developing basketball talent, and an opportunity to see the rising stars of the game.

“The girls’ section of the tournament is in its fourth year, with several teams including players that are in the national team. The hosts, Saints, will be looking to go further than their semifinal finish in last year’s competition. They will face stiff competition from Saheti, Rand Tutorial College, and Sacred Heart.”

“In the boys’ section, Saints will look to overcome their rivals St John’s College and St David’s Marist Inanda, who were exceptional at the u15 level [in 2024].

“The defending champions,  Westville Boys’ High School, will look to retain their title, while the runner-up, St Stithians, will be aiming to go one step further and win. A dark horse in the race for the title will be Maritzburg College.

“Once again, SuperSport Schools will cover the action in what promises to be a highly competitive event.”

The boys’ competition features schools from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Botswana, Eswatini, and the Eastern Cape.

The title-holders, Westville, are in Pool A, along with their neighbours, Kearsney College, St Benedict’s College, St David’s Marist Inanda, and Parktown Boys’ High School. They’re joined by Zimbabwe’s Falcon College.

Maru a Pula, from Botswana, is in Pool B where they will face the the host team, St Stithians College u16A, and their fellow Gauteng schools, King Edward VII School (KES) and St Peter’s College. KZN’s interests will be represented by Michaelhouse and St Charles College.

The first match in Pool B swings into action at 08:00 in the morning on Valentine’s Day on court 3, with Maru a Pula taking on Saints, who will be out to impress their home supporters.

On paper, Pool C is loaded. St John’s College, Pretoria Boys High, and St Alban’s College, from Gauteng, will go up against KZN’s Maritzburg College and Northwood School, while Eswatini’s Usutu Forest School will add a refreshing dynamic to the robust line-up.

Pool D features Hilton College, the sole representative from KZN. Last year, Hilton’s u15 side won the St John’s Basketball Tournament, so they should be in the mix for the title.

They’ll take on, among others, St Andrew’s College, the only team from the Eastern Cape. St George’s College, from Zimbabwe, is expected to add intensity to the competition while Gauteng’s Jeppe Boys, Michael Mount Waldorf, and St Stithians College u16B, will present a strong local challenge.

The girls’ competition will showcase an entirely South African lineup, including St Peter’s College, Trinity House Glenvista, Rand Tutorial College, and the Diocesan School for Girls (DSG), from Makhanda, in the Eastern Cape.

They’ll be challenged by the International School of South Africa (ISSA), Kingswood College, St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria), The King’s School Linbro Park, Michael Mount Waldorf, Redhill School, Marist Brothers Linmeyer, St Dunstan’s College, Sacred Heart, St Mary’s Waverley, Saheti, and the hosts, St Stithians College.

Boys’ Fixtures

Friday, 14 February

08:00 – Court 1: Parktown Boys vs St David’s Inanda
08:00 – Court 2: Kearsney College vs Falcon College
08:00 – Court 3: Maru a Pula vs St Stithians College u16A
08:00 – Court 4: St Benedict’s College vs Westville Boys’ High

09:00 – Court 1: Pretoria Boys vs Northwood
09:00 – Court 2: St John’s College vs St Alban’s College
09:00 – Court 3: Michaelhouse vs St Charles
09:00 – Court 4: King Edward VII School vs St Peter’s College

10:00 – Court 1: Maritzburg College vs Usutu Forest
10:00 – Court 2: St George’s College vs Westville Boys’ High
10:00 – Court 3: St Andrew’s College vs Jeppe Boys
10:00 – Court 4: St Stithians College u16B vs Hilton College

11:00 – Court 1: St David’s Inanda vs Kearsney College
11:00 – Court 2: Falcon College vs Westville Boys’ High
11:00 – Court 3: Pretoria Boys vs St John’s College
11:00 – Court 4: Parktown Boys vs St Benedict’s College

12:00 – Court 1: King Edward VII School vs Maru a Pula
12:00 – Court 2: Michaelhouse vs St Peter’s College
12:00 – Court 3: Michael Mount vs Jeppe Boys
12:00 – Court 4: St Charles College vs St Stithians College u16A

13:00 – Court 1: St George’s vs Hilton College
13:00 – Court 2: Maritzburg College vs Northwood
13:00 – Court 3: St Benedict’s College vs St David’s Inanda
13:00 – Court 4: Usutu Forest vs St Alban’s College

14:00 – Court 1: Falcon College vs Parktwon Boys
14:00 – Court 2: Kearsney College vs Westville Boys’ High
1400 – Court 3: King Edward VII School vs St Charles College
14:00 – Court 4: St Stithians College u16B vs St Andrew’s College

15:00 – Court 1: Northwood vs Usutu Forest
15:00 – Court 2: Michael Mount vs St Stithians College u16B
15:00 – Court 3: St John’s College vs Maritzburg College
15:00 – Court 4: St Peter’s College vs Maru a Pula

16:00 – Court 1: St Andrew’s College vs Hilton College
16:00 – Court 2: Pretoria Boys vs St Alban’s College
16:00 – Court 3: St Stithians College u16A vs Michaelhouse
16:00 – Court 4: Jeppe Boys vs St George’s College

Saturday 15 February

08:00 – Court 1: Michaelhouse vs Maru a Pula
08:00 – Court 2: Kearsney College vs Parktown Boys
08:00 – Court 3: St Benedict’s College vs Falcon College
08:00 – Court 4: Westville Boys’ High vs St David’s Inanda

09:00 – Court 1: St Charles College vs St Peter’s College
09:00 – Court 2: St Alban’s College vs Northwood
09:00 – Court 3: St Stithians College vs King Edward VII School
09:00 – Court 4: Usutu Forest vs St John’s College

10:00 – Court 1: St Stithians College u16A vs Falcon College
10:00 – Court 2: Hilton College vs Jeppe Boys
10:00 – Court 3: St Andrew’s College vs Michael Mount
10:00 – Court 4: Maritzburg College vs Pretoria Boys

11:00 – Court 1: St David’s Inanda vs Falcon College
11:00 – Court 2: Kearsney College vs St Benedict’s College
11:00 – Court 3: Westville Boys’ High vs Parktown Boys
11:00 – Court 4: Michaelhouse vs King Edward VII School

12:00 – Court 1: Usutu Forest vs Pretoria Boys
12:00 – Court 2: Maru a Pula vs St Charles College
1200 – Court 3: Maritzburg College vs St Alban’s College
12:00 – Court 4: Northwood vs St John’s College

13:00 – Court 1: Hilton College vs Michael Mount
13:00 – Court 2: Jeppe Boys vs St Stithians College u16B
13:00 – Court 3: St Andrew’s College vs St George’s College
13:00 – Court 4: St Stithians College u16A vs St Peter’s College

Girls’ Fixtures

Friday 14 February

11:00 – Court 5: St Mary’s Waverley vs King’s Linbro
11:00 – Court 7: Kingswood vs ISSA
11:00 – Court 8: St Stithians College vs Redhill

12:00 – Court 5: St Peter’s College vs Trinity House
12:00 – Court 7: Rand Tutorial vs St Mary’s DSG
12:00 – Court 8: Saheti School vs Michael Mount

13:00 – Court 7: DSG Makhanda vs King’s Linbro
13:00 – Court 8: Sacred Heart vs St Mary’s Waverley

14:00 – Court 5: Redhill vs Kingswood College
14:00 – Court 7: St Mary’s DSG vs Marist Brothers
14:00 – Court 8: St Dustan’s College vs Rand Tutorial

15:00 – Court 5: ISSA vs St Stithians College
15:00 – Court 7: Michael Mount vs St Peter’s College
15:00 – Court 8: Trinity House vs Saheti School

16:00 – Court 5: Marist Brothers vs St Dunstan’s College

Saturday 15 February 

08:00 – Court 7: Sacred Heart vs DSG Makhanda

09:00 – Court 7: Michael Mount vs Trinity House
09:00 – Court 8: St Peter’s College vs Saheti School

10:00 – Court 7: Marist Brothers vs Rand Tutorial
10:00 – Court 8: St Mary’s DSG vs St Dunstan’s College

11:00 – Court 7: St Stithians College vs Kingswood College
11:00 – Court 8: Redhill vs ISSA

12:00 – Court 7: St Mary’s Waverley vs DSD Makhanda
12:00 – Court 8: King’s Linbro vs Sacred Heart