Author: sipongco

The teams and fixtures for the Gauteng Women’s Soccer League (GWSL), formerly known as the Gauteng Women’s Soccer Tournament (GWST), have been officially announced. The competition kicks off on 2 November at Rovers FC in Alberton.

Mondli Dube, the Tournament Director, told SuperSport Schools Plus that the third edition of the tournament, which has been supported by a partnership with the Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreation, is set to deliver an unforgettable event, with prizes to the value of R40 000 up for grabs.

The tournament will feature 20 teams competing in both league and knockout formats, with aQuellé and Sports Effect serving as the headline sponsors.

Heading into its third edition, the GWSL has quickly drawn public interest, particularly among football fans keen on promoting women’s football. In an interview with SuperSport Schools Plus, Dube expressed his satisfaction that the tournament has been embraced by football fans, adding that the resilience of his organising team had helped ensure the event’s support and success.

He described 2023’s second edition of the event, won by Raycon FC, after a 1-0 win over Diepkloof Ladies in the final, as remarkable. Raycon had finished as the runners-up in 2022, losing out to the team they beat for the title in 2023, Diepkloof Ladies.

“We are delighted to announce the third edition dedicated to women’s soccer, as the world of soccer expands and motivates all of us across the world,” Dube said.

“Thanks to the media houses that [have] covered this tournament. We hope that they can do the same again this year in November – the 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th, 16th, and 17th – at Rovers Football Club.”

The Tournament Director said women’s football continues to experience strong growth and its popularity is expanding rapidly. “With a rise in viewership numbers and heightened fan engagement, the GWSL is poised to achieve a significant milestone in the history of the sport”, he reckoned.

Dube also expressed his gratitude for the steadfast support of the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreation.

“The third annual GWSL promises to be a celebration of talent, determination, and the indomitable spirit of women’s soccer,” he enthused. “As the teams prepare to take the field, they know they are not just playing for victory, but for the love of the game and the advancement of women’s soccer in Gauteng and beyond.”

FIXTURES 

2 November: Group A

09:00 – Field 1: Mito Stars vs Kempton Park Stars
09:00 – Field 2: Zebra Force vs FC Raycon
11:00 – Field 1 Kempton Park Stars vs Zebra Force

2 November: Group B

09:00 – Field 3: Electrical Ladies vs Springs Home Sweepers
09:00 – Field 3: Blue Birds Ladies vs Rovers FC
11:00 – Field 3: Rand Central LFA vs Electrical Ladies
11:00 – Field 4: Spring Home Sweepers vs Blue Birds Ladies
13:00 –  Field 2: Rovers FC vs Rand Central LFA

3 November: Group C

09:00 – Field 1: M.U.S.A vs Future Stars
09:00 – Field 2: Royal Lions vs JVW 1
11:00 – Field 1: RESA vs M.U.S.A
11:00 – Field 2: Future Stars vs Royal Lions
13:00 – Field 1: JVW 1 vs RESA

3 November: Group D

09:00 – Field 3: Luso Africa vs JVW 2
09:00 – Field 4: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Diepkloof Ladies
11:00 – Field 3: Wits University vs Luso Africa
11:00 – Field 4: JVW 2 vs Mamelodi Sundowns
13:00 – Field 2: Diepkloof Ladies vs Wits University

Sunday’s finals saw St Stithians College succeed St Benedict’s College as the u18 champions and St David’s Marist Inanda succeed Michael Mount Waldorf as the u15 champions of the St David’s Inanda Hoops Classic Challenge.

The u18 final was a battle of traditional rivals, with Saints battling St John’s College for the title. Both had produced performances that justified their places in the final.

As often happens in title deciders, the contest was a low-scoring affair, with both units playing stifling defence. St Stithians, though, had the edge and they came away with a tough 35-25 win. Saints’ Benedict Agammouh was also named the u18 Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.

King Edward VII School (KES) took on last year’s winners, St Benedict’s, for third place, with KES securing a 46-36 win over Bennies to lay claim to the bronze medals.

In the u15 division, the home team, St David’s, delighted their home supporters by scoring a narrow 35-33 win over St Alban’s College to lift the title.

St David’s was in a championship mood throughout the tournament and went unbeaten. They also produced the u15 MVP, with Lelentle Nthlokwa cracking the nod.

St Benedict’s took on St Stithians for third in the u15 competition. After another tightly contested clash, it was Bennies who came away with a 46-39 win, a result which would have been encouraging for both schools as it showed they have good depth in both the open and u15 age groups.

After four days of thrilling basketball action, Elvis Ukpong, the Director of Basketball at St David’s, expressed his gratitude to the supporters, sponsors – Sebamed, Fasken, NBA Africa Store – and SuperSport Schools for their coverage of the Inanda Hoops Classic Challenge.

U18 RESULTS 

Final Placing Games 9-16

Position 9 and 10: Hilton College 52-40 Grey High
Position 11 and 12: King’s Linbro 52-30 St Andrew’s College
Position 13 and 14: St Peter’s College 29-21 Parktown Boys
Position 15 and 16: Redhill 36-28 Sacred Heart

Final Placing Games 5-8

Position 5 and 6: Pretoria Boys 39-31 Michael Mount
Position 7 and 8: Jeppe Boys 35-19 St David’s

Bronze

King Edward VII School 46-39 St Benedict’s College

Final 

St Stithians College 35-25 St John’s College

u18 Final Standings 

1. 1. St Stithians College
   2. St John’s College
   3. King Edward VII School
   4. St Benedict’s College
   5. Pretoria Boys High
   6. Michael Mount
   7. Jeppe Boys
   8. St David’s Marist Inanda
   9. Hilton College
   10. Grey High
   11. King’s Linbro
   12. St Andrew’s College
   13. St Peter’s College
   14. Parktown Boys
   15. Redhill
   16. Sacred Heart

U15 RESULTS 

Final Placing Games 9-16

Position 9 and 10: Hilton College 38-36 Pretoria Boys
Position 11 and 12: Parktown Boys 48-24 Michael Mount
Position 13 and 14: King’s Linbro 40-24 Jeppe Boys
Position 15 and 16: St Peter’s College 32-18 Redhill

Final Placing Games 5-8

Position 5 and 6: Sacred Heart 47-46 King Edward VII School
Position 7 and 8: St Andrew’s College 30-28 St John’s College

Bronze 

St Benedict’s College 46-39 St Stithians College

Final 

St David’s 35-33 St Albans

u15 Final Standings

1. St David’s Marist Inanda
2. St Alban’s College
3. St Benedict’s College
4. St Stithians College
5. Sacred Heart
6. King Edward VII School
7. St Andrew’s College
8. St John’s College
9. Hilton College
10. Pretoria Boys High
11. Parktown Boys
12. Michael Mount
13. King’s Linbro
14. Jeppe Boys
15. St Peter’s College
16. Redhill

A new champion will be crowned at the St David’s Marist Inanda Hoops Classic Challenge on Sunday after the defending champion, St Benedict’s College, was eliminated from title contention on Saturday in Johannesburg.

Bennies fought tenaciously to retain the title and they put together a good run.

On Saturday, they faced a tricky quarterfinal clash with Pretoria Boys High and came away with a 55-47 win. That put them into the semifinals against St John’s College and that was where, unfortunately for St Benedict’s, their ride came to an end.

St John’s had booked their place in the final four with a tough 60-51 win over Jeppe, but it was even tighter in their showdown with Bennies. It was neck-and-neck all the way, but St John’s prevailed by two points, snatching a 50-48 victory.

They’ll face their old rivals, St Stithians College, in the championship match. Saints secured their spot in the title decider in convincing style, cruising to a 57-37 win over King Edward VII (KES) in their final-four matchup. They controlled the contest throughout to confidently advance.

Those results have left St Benedict’s and KES to duel for the bronze medal, while the hosts, St David’s Marist Inanda, will also have a shot at glory when their u15 side goes up against St Alban’s College in the final of that age group.

St David’s had too much firepower for St Stithians in the semifinals, rolling to a 54-34 win, while St Alban’s slid past St Benedict’s, snatching a one-point victory by a 44-43 margin.

U18 RESULTS

Quarterfinals 

St Benedict’s College 55-47 Pretoria Boys High
St John’s College 60-51 Jeppe
St Stithians College 39-21 St David’s
KES 49-41 Michael Mount

Quarterfinals Losers

Pretoria Boys High 49-48 Jeppe
Michael Mount 41-36 St David’s

Semi-finals 

St Stithians College 57-37 KES
St John’s College 50-48 St Benedict’s College

Classification games: Quarterfinals 

Grey High 55-43 St Andrew’s College
Hilton 43-39 King’s Linbro
Parktown 34-24 Sacred Heart
St Peter’s 39-30 Redhill

Fixtures: Sunday

Final Placing Games 9-16

Position 9 and 10: Grey High vs Hilton College
Position 11 and 12: St Andrew’s vs KES
Position 13 and 14: Parktown vs St Peter’s College
Position 15 and 16: Redhill vs Sacred Heart

Final Placing Games 5-8  

Position 5 and 6: Pretoria Boys High vs Michael Mount
Position 7 and 8: Jeppe Boys vs St David’s

Bronze

St Benedict’s vs KES

Final 

St John’s College vs St Stithians College

U15 RESULTS

Quarterfinals 

St David’s 36-32 KES
St Albans 46-37 St Andrew’s
St Benedict’s 43-31 Sacred Heart
St Stithians 54-51 St John’s College

Semi-finals

St David’s 54-34 St Stithians College
St Albans 44-43 St Benedict’s

Classification Games

Jeppe Boys 44-32 St Peter’s College
King’s Linbro 55-08 Redhill
Hilton College 38-34 Parktown
Pretoria Boys 29-26 Michael Mount

Classification Quarterfinal Losers

KES 49-47 St John’s College
Sacred Heart 31-29 St Andrew’s College

Final Placing Games 9-16

Position 9 and 10: Hilton College vs Pretoria Boys
Position 11 and 12: Parktown vs Michael Mount
Position 13 and 14: King’s Linbro vs Jeppe Boys
Position 15 and 16: Redhill vs St Peter’s College

Final Placing Games 5-8

Position 5 and 6: KES vs Sacred Heart
Position 7 and 8: St John’s College vs St Andrew’s College

Bronze

St Stithians vs St Benedict’s

Final 

St David’s vs St Albans College

The second day of the St David’s Marist Inanda Hoops Classic Challenge kicked off early on Friday, following an impressive day one of the tournament, which produced some exciting performances and splash plays.

The defending champions, St Benedict’s College, concluded their pool stage schedule with another win, but they were made to battle until the end by Sacred Heart College, eventually coming away with a one-point victory, 40-39. That narrow defeat, unfortunately for the resilient Sacred Heart squad, kept the team out of the quarterfinals.

Bennies’ reward for topping Pool A is a tricky quarterfinal clash with Pretoria Boys High, who finished second in a tough Pool D.

Second place in Pool A went the way of King Edward VII School (KES). They handed St Andrew’s College a 46-25 defeat to secure the runner-up position.

Unlike Pool A, which featured only two games, matters were busier in Pool B. St David’s Marist Inanda experienced mixed fortunes, winning one and losing one. They were pushed hard by Parktown Boys’ High in their opener but came away with a 32-28 win. However, in their second outing, St John’s College dominated and powered their way to 55-29 victory.

St John’s had an impressive day and they ended it atop the group. After beating St David’s, they followed up with another comprehensive win, downing Grey High 69-29.

St Stithians College will face St David’s in the quarterfinals after claiming first place in Pool C. Saints have shown the mettle to win tight games and the talent to overrun teams, and both were on display on Friday.

Jeppe High School for Boys stretched Saints, but St Stithians came away with an eight-point win, 48-40. Then, they romped to a big 86-26 victory over Redhill School.

Pool D featured Michael Mount Waldorf School, Pretoria Boys High, St Peter’s College, and King’s Linbro. Michael Mount, the winner of Kearsney College’s Independent Schools Stayers Basketball Tournament, finished top of the group.

In their key pool game, Michael Mount handed Pretoria Boys High a 43-32 loss. They faced a second tough outing on Friday, against The King’s School Linbro Park. It produced a tight tussle all the way through to the final whistle, but when it sounded Michael Mount had claimed a 33-31 victory.

U18 RESULTS 

Pool A

KES 46-25 St Andrew’s College
St Benedict’s 40-39 Sacred Heart

Pool B

St David’s 32-28 Parktown Boys’ High
St John’s College 69-25 Grey High
St John’s College 55-29 St David’s
Grey High 50-46 Parktown Boys’ High

Pool C

St Stithians 48-40 Jeppe
Hilton College 52-20 Redhill
Jeppe 48-40 Hilton College
St Stithians 86-26 Redhill

Pool D

King’s Linbro 42-35 St Peter’s College
Michael Mount 43-32 Pretoria Boys High
Pretoria Boys High 56-17 St Peter’s
Michael Mount 33-31 King’s Linbro

Saturday Fixtures

u18 Quarterfinals  

St Benedict’s College vs Pretoria Boys High
St John’s vs Jeppe
St Stithians vs St David’s
Michael Mount vs KES

u18 Classification games

St Andrew’s College vs King’s Linbro
Grey High vs Hilton College
Sacred Heart vs St Peter’s
Parktown Boys’ High vs Redhill School

U15 RESULTS 

Hilton College 39-35 St Alban’s
KES 59-12 St Peter’s College
Sacred Heart 45-39 King’s Linbro
St John’s College 65-24 Michael Mount
St Andrew’s College 62-19 Redhill School
Parktown Boys’ High 42-24 Jeppe
St Benedict’s College 63-54 St Stithians College
St Alban’s College 34-30 KES
Hilton College 71-24 St Peter’s College
St John’s College 47-24 Sacred Heart
Michael Mount 34-32 King’s Linbro
St Andrew’s College 51-50 Pretoria Boy’s High School
St David’s 77-6 Redhill School

u15 Quarter finals 

St Alban’s College vs St Andrew’s College
St David’s vs KES
St Benedict’s vs Sacred Heart
St John’s vs St Stithians

u15 Classification games 

Jeppe vs St Peter’s College
Redhill vs KES
Parktown Boys’ High vs Hilton College
Pretoria Boys High vs Michael Mount

The reigning champions, St Benedict’s College basketball team, made an impressive start to their defence of the title at the seventh edition of the St David’s Marist Inanda Hoops Classic Challenge on Thursday.

Bennies scored two victories on day one, overcoming St Andrew’s College and King Edward VII School (KES). Those strong performances in Pool A mark the title-holders as serious contenders once again.

In their match against St Benedict’s College, the Eastern Cape’s St Andrew’s College faced a tough opponent and were well beaten, going down 17-57, which underlined the dominance of St Benedict’s throughout the contest. KES, on the other hand, stretched Bennies, but the reigning champions held the edge and came away with a 48-39 win.

In other Pool A matches, St Andrew’s College overcame the shock of their one-sided loss to St Benedict’s, defeating Sacred Heart College 61-55 in their second outing. It was a challenging day for Sacred Heart College, who also went down to KES, but not without a fight, with KES claiming a 51-41 win.

Pool B had two matches on the opening day. St John’s College scored a narrow win over Parktown Boys’ High School, with only four points separating the teams at the end, but St John’s the winners’ by a 48-44 margin. winning the game by 4 points in a final score of 48-44. The proud hosts of the tournament, St David’s Marist Inanda defeated Grey High School by 35-29 to get off to a winning start.

In Pool C, St Stithians College comfortably won their first game of the tournament, defeating Hilton College 53-35. Jeppe High School for Boys secured a convincing 66-42 win against Redhill School.

In Pool D, in a low-scoring affair, Michael Mount Waldorf School overcame St Peter’s College 24-14, while Pretoria Boys High School was made to sweat by King’s Linbro before coming away with a 37-33 victory.

u18 Results 

Pool A

St Benedict’s 57-17 St Andrew’s College
King Edward VII School 51-41 Sacred Heart
St Benedict’s 48-39 King Edward VII School
St Andrew’s College 61-55 Sacred Heart

Pool B

St John’s College 48-44 Parktown Boy’s High School
St David’s 35-29 Grey High

Pool C

St Stithians 53-35 Hilton
Jeppe 66-42 Redhill

Pool D

Michael Mount 24-14 St Peters
Pretoria Boy’s High School 37-33 King’s Linbro

u15 Results 

St David’s 43-37 St Andrew’s College
St Alban’s 35-21 St Peter’s
St Stithians 64-35 Jeppe
St Benedict’s 37-31 Parktown
St John’s College 35-23 Kings Linbro
Pretoria Boys High School 60-10 Redhill
King Edward VII School 45-39 Hilton College
Sacred Heart 39-37 Michael Mount
St Stithians 39-27 Parktown
St Benedict’s 56-45 Jeppe

Another young graduate from the School of Excellence, Siyabonga Mabena, is garnering attention after being recognised as one of the world’s leading young footballers by The Guardian newspaper on 15 October.

Mabena was included in the article, titled “Next Generation 2024: 60 of the best young talents in world football“.

The selection featured notable talents, including Estêvão Willian, the 17-year-old Brazilian football prodigy, who was signed by Chelsea Football Club in June 2024 from Palmeiras. Estêvão is expected to join the Blues’ first team at Stamford Bridge for the 2025/26 season when he turns 18.

South African football enthusiasts expressed their congratulations on social media to Mabena, who made his senior debut for Sundowns, under coach Rhulani Mokwena, in March 2023, during a 5-1 win over Royal AM in a Premier Soccer League match. Mabena has made 18 appearances for the Brazilians since then.

He was a member of the South African national team (Amajita) that won the u20 Cosafa Championship in Mozambique earlier this month under coach Raymond Mdaka. When they reached the final, Amajita also qualified for next year’s u20 Caf Africa Cup of Nations.

Mabena, who was initially exposed to the broader landscape of South African football through the Gauteng Development League (GDL), while representing the School of Excellence, has won two league titles with Mamelodi Sundowns and was also part of the Brazilians’ side that won the African Football League in 2023.

Being named in The Guardian‘s prestigious Next Generation list, which showcases talents born in 2007, is another big feather in Mabena’s cap. The list also includes Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, who has progressed through the ranks of the renowned La Masia Academy, which is renowned for producing World Cup champions, including Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, and many others.

The recognition among some of the world’s top talents is a big boost for Mabena whose ambitions will be further boosted by featuring for Sundowns, the dominant team in South African club football, which has won the Betway Premiership title for the past seven seasons.

Inathi Masinga, a student from Maritzburg College, has received a full basketball scholarship from Southeastern Preparatory Academy in Orlando, Florida.

Masinga has distinguished himself on the court over the past two years, with his profile rising in the youth-level basketball ranks.

He was a key contributor to the College basketball team that remained unbeaten from 16 September 2023 until March 2024, during the KZN inter-school season.

Maritzburg College coach Suwi Siwila told SuperSport Schools Plus earlier this year that team building was emphasised to foster a robust team culture.

That focus on unity was evident on the court where the Red, Black, and White exhibited an ability to perform cohesively, with Masinga playing an important role in the team’s success.

Masinga and College started 2024 on a high note by winning the Jenny Orchard Invitational Basketball Tournament in February, defeating an outstanding Northwood School team in the final. The Knights, who won the St John’s Basketball Tournament later in the year, were a very tough opponent, but College prevailed in overtime, winning 87-84. Masinga was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).

In September, he represented South Africa’s u18 boys’ basketball team at the u18 FIBA Afrobasket Tournament in Pretoria. The tournament featured some of the top nations in Africa competing for a chance to represent the continent at the FIBA u19 Basketball World Cup in 2025, set to take place in Czechia.

Although the South African team did not win the tournament, the experience and exposure gained, along with the valuable lessons learned, will undoubtedly benefit Masinga’s basketball career.

He concludes his tenure at Maritzburg College with an impressive record of playing in 40 games for the first team and securing victory in 33 of them.

Coach Siwila said Masinga was also the MVP of the Maritzburg College basketball team, thereby etching his name into College’s basketball history books.

Siwila also declared himself immensely proud of Masinga’s contributions to the Maritzburg College basketball programme and wished him well for his move abroad.

The IberCup, a major international youth football tournament, will be held in Johannesburg from 12-16 December, showcasing South African talent to international clubs and opening up new opportunities for South African footballers.

SuperSport Schools Plus recently chatted with Michael Bender, the CEO of IberCup South Africa, to gain insight into the tournament, which features both boys’ and girls’ categories.

Bender, who is also the CEO of RCD Espanyol de Barcelona SA in Johannesburg, explained that the IberCup is a worldwide initiative. This time it will provide a grand opportunity for South African talent to play against European and South American teams.

“We stage the  IberCup in Brazil, in Spain, in Barcelona, in China, in Australia, and it’s taken almost five years to bring it to South Africa,” he said. “Why? Covid didn’t help. But in 2018 we signed an agreement with IberCup International to bring IberCup to South Africa. We felt it was important that our South African talent was given an opportunity against European teams.”

Bender believes South Africans will be able to assess their level and measure their progress against European or Brazilian football. “We always talk about how good we are, but this tournament gives us an opportunity to see how good we are against some of the best academies in the world.”

Bringing the IberCup to South Africa will help cut costs, Bender said. Travelling is too expensive, he explained, working out at around R52 000 per player for trips to Europe. “Now imagine taking an entire squad of 21 players.”

To cut costs while enabling young South Africans to compete on par with European and South American teams, Bender said a deal was signed with the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation in 2019 to bring the IberCup to South Africa. He said Gauteng officials assured him that the endeavour would be supported.

Bender said the IberCup creates unique opportunities for South Africans, who will face teams with internationally recognised names and fans bases in South Africa’s youth division. “Can you imagine one of our boys from a township playing against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Benfica? Is it impossible? Well guess what, it’s going to happen and we are about to make the dreams of young South Africans come true.

“Some of the biggest European and South American franchises will be playing against our boys. Barcelona, Benfica, Palmeiras, River Plate, Manchester City, Newcastle… We are working to bring them for a unique youth football experience in South Africa.”

Bender said local clubs have already shown their interest, with a number having already confirmed their participation in the forthcoming IberCup, including Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, AmaZulu, Randburg AFC, and Bloemfontein City. 

Interest has also been shown by other African nations, including teams from Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal.

“It’s a milestone and this has the potential to change the fabric and face of soccer in the youth category forever in South Africa because, if they come here once, it’s going to open up the channel and the gateway for international teams to keep coming here, not just for this tournament, but regularly,” Bender enthused.

Local teams and schools will also benefit from interacting with other coaches, top administrators, and players from different countries, Bender said.

“People need to understand this is the opportunity for every coach, for every school, teacher, for every club, every player, to look at what systems they’re employing to improve the player, not just with talent, but psychologically, conditionally and technically. We sometimes forget that these are the most important aspects of development.”

Adding further value to the initiative, Bender said IberCup South Africa will launch a club database with an app for global community interaction at the IberCup to empower local coaches with long-term tools.

“I’m going to give you an exclusive that nobody’s got yet,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus. “Based on the fact that we have so many clubs registering with us, we have realised we have a service to give these clubs. We’re creating a database, and we are hoping that after the IberCup, obviously, in January next year, every club on our database will be given a link to an app.

“They will be able to get and transfer information and be part of a global South African community where they can ask questions.

“We decided this only a couple of days ago, but this is, to me, the biggest and most important thing. We will have our tournament every year for the next five years. We will make sure we bring international teams, but we want our local coaches to start saying, ‘Wow, I have something more. When I leave the IberCup, I leave it with an app on my phone that I can use in the future’.”

In a bid to rejuvenate the Lentegeur Sports Field, the highly anticipated u18 Mitchells Plain Youth Cup (MPYC) Soccer Tournament was held in Mitchells Plain over the weekend.

The local community gathered to celebrate the essence of the beautiful game as u18 boys’ teams from across Cape Town competed for the title.

The final was a tight contest, won by Rockafellas, who beat Milano United 1-0 to secure the silverware.

In addition to the trophy, Rockafellas received R15 000 and an MTN gift bag. Milano United, the runners-up, received R5 000 in recognition of their commendable display of sportsmanship throughout the tournament.

Rockafellas demonstrated their championship potential when they took on the home team, Lentegeur in the quarterfinals, winning 2-0 to advance to the final four. In another challenging game, they edged out Bayview by a goal to nil to reach the championship game.

Milano United took out Bayhill United in the quarterfinals, winning 3-1. In the semi-finals, they scored a 2-1 win over Westridge.

The Plate final was between Stanturf AFC and Ikapa Sporting FC, with Stanturf scoring the game’s lone goal to lift the Plate. They also received R2 000, while Ikapa Sporting FC was presented with R 1 000.

After the final match ended, the Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, who had shown strong support for the tournament, presented the Player of the Tournament, Tabiso Mzalisi, with a pair of Air Jordan sneakers.

The Tournament Director, Councillor Avron Plaatjies, thanked the sponsors and donors for their contributions and for making the tournament a success.

“Liberty Promenade, MTN, Watergate Mall, SAFA Cape Town, Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages, Winelands, Albany, Comtel, Western Cape Government, the City of Cape Town, Tyger Burger, and others. Your support is invaluable to the youth of Mitchells Plain”, he said.

“Thank you again to everyone who played a part in making the Mitchells Plain Youth Cup a success. We can’t wait to see you all next year.”

Plate Quarterfinals 

Stanturf 1-0 FC Tafelzucht
Kenpark 6-3 New Forester
Strandfontein (4) 1-1 (2) Red Rovers
Ikapa Sporting 1-0 Barcelona

Winners Quarterfinals

Westridge (5) 2-2 (4) Beacon Spurs
Milano United 3-1 Bayhill United
Rockafellas 2-0 Lentegeur
Bayview 2-1 Beacon City

Plate Semifinals

Stanturf 2-1 Kenpark
Ikapa Sporting 1-0 Strandfontein

Winners Semifinals

Milano United 2-1 Westridge
Rockafellas 1-0 Bayview

Plate final

Stanturf 1-0 Ikapa Sporting

Winners Final

Rockafellas 1-0 Milano United

The eighth annual Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA League Johannesburg Finals, organised by the National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa, were contested at Michael Mount Waldorf School in Bryanston, Johannesburg, on Sunday.

In a cool twist, the finalists played in the kits of NBA clubs, with the Soweto Basketball Academy (Phoenix Suns) and Kagiso Basketball Club (Utah Jazz) emerging as the boys’ and girls’ champions

They secured their titles by defeating St. Stithians College (Brooklyn Nets) and the Sandton Hornets (Charlotte Hornets) respectively.

In the boys’ final, the Soweto Basketball Academy toughed it out to defeat Saints 33-26. The Kagiso Basketball Club scored a more clearcut victory in the girls’ final, beating the Sandton Hornets 27-14.

The champion teams produced the event’s leading performers, with Tinyiko Maseko, of the Soweto Basketball Academy, and Omphemetse Gasietsiwe, of the Kagiso Basketball Club, being named the Most Valuable Players.

An All-Star game was also held between the Eastern Conference incorporating the Ekurhuleni Municipality – Benoni, Boksburg, Kempton, Germiston, and Brakpan – and the Western Conference – Sandton, Bryanston, Randburg, Rivonia, and Midrand – which created an opportunity for the top players to strut their stuff.

The Johannesburg Finals brought the curtain down on a season that also included Jnr NBA tournaments in Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal, and Phokeng, Rustenburg.

“Since its inception in 2016, the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA League Johannesburg has engaged over 1 500 participants from various parts of Johannesburg through league matches and Jr. NBA clinics,” NBA Africa said in a recent press statement.

The founder of the Soweto Basketball Academy, Monwabisi Dlamini, was delighted by his club’s victory. “That was a very humbling and quite exciting feeling, not just for myself, but for the entire academy, mainly because the Junior NBA is one of the first leagues that we contested in our infancy when we started,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus.

“The league has grown to be, in my opinion, the top u14 league in the country, and to be winning such a league where some of the very best teams are playing from all over, is humbling, and it’s an amazing thing to see these kids work. I mean, I’ve got boys who have been working since last year in this championship.

“It’s humbling and amazing to see them achieve what they’ve set out to achieve.

He added: “It makes me confident that these boys, who were playing this weekend, understand what it takes to achieve, not just in basketball, but in life.”

Dlamini also delighted in the fact that the Soweto Basketball Academy had never won the boys’ title before. The club’s girls’ team had previously powered their way to victory for four years in succession.

Reflecting on the season, Dlamini said: “It was a beautiful season. It had its ups and downs, but the boys did very well. And, as an academy, we are extremely proud of them.”

The Jr. NBA Championship title added shine to a memorable year for the Soweto Basketball Academy, with the u18 boys’ team excelling in tournaments throughout 2024 and proving themselves to be one of the premier sides in South Africa in their age group.

It was also a good year for the Soweto Basketball Academy’s girls’ teams, who secured a long list of titles during the year.

U18 Girls

• Soweto Basketball Uprising Tournament
• St Peter’s College Sports and Cultural Basketball Festival
• KBA Warriors Women’s Day Basketball Tournament
• St John’s Basketball League Tournament
• Soweto Youth Basketball League Tournament

U16 Girls

• St Stithians Basketball Tournament
• Gauteng Basketball League
• St John’s Eagles Basketball League

U14 Girls

• Soweto Basketball Uprising Tournament

U18 Boys

• St John’s Eagles Basketball League

U16 Boys

• St John’s Eagles Basketball League
• Jonathan Khumalo Basketball Tournament

U14 boys

• Soweto Basketball Uprising Tournament
• Jr. NBA Johannesburg Finals

Jr. NBA/Jr WNBA Results, Johannesburg

Boys’ Final 

Soweto Basketball Academy (Phoenix Suns) 33-26 St Stithians College (Brooklyn Nets)

Girls’ Final

Kagiso Basketball Club (Utah Jazz) 27-14 Sandton Hornets (Charlotte Hornets)

Boys’ All-Star Game

Western Conference 32 – 31 Eastern Conference

Girls’ All-Star Game

Eastern Conference 12 – 27 Western Conference