Author: sipongco

KwaZulu-Natal schools performed well at the recent St John’s Basketball Tournament, with Northwood and Hilton College winning the u19 and u15 titles respectively in the country’s most prestigious basketball event.

On the weekend, there was another chance for those teams to demonstrate their excellence.

Northwood’s ride on the winning streak

Northwood, who laid claim to being the number one team in the country with their dominant performances in Johannesburg, picked up where they left off when they took on Clifton College.

Lusanda Hlongwane, the MVP of the St John’s tournament, led the way with a triple-double, while Callum Magurno picked up a double-double. They, together with Chadley Hargreaves and Siyamthanda Shabalala, all tallied more than 20 points as the Knights bullied their way to a 102-35 win.

Playing for the first time in a big interschools fixture at home since winning the St John’s tournament, the Northwood team was welcomed onto the court with rapturous applause, with their supporters, pupils, parents and staff all showing their appreciation for the side.

With Hlongwane, Magurno and Hargreaves dictating play from the start, Northwood were quickly into their stride and by the end of the first quarter they had 29 points on the board.

The Knights exerted massive pressure on Clifton with their full-court, man-to-man press and, once they turned over possession, they were relentless in turning it into points.

The one-sided victory put an exclamation mark on a very successful day for Northwood, who swept their matches against Clifton, who came closest to a win in the u15A game, which Northwood claimed 36-34.

Maritzburg College remains unbeaten in KZN interschools’ matches

The Maritzburg College 1st team enjoyed a good weekend, beating Kearsney College 63-56, to keep their record in KZN clean.

Since 16 September last year to the present day, College remains unbeaten in the province in interschools derbies, and they also claimed the silverware in the Jenny Orchard Basketball Tournament in February when they defeated Northwood School (who had beaten them in the pool stages) in the final in overtime.

At Michaelhouse, the Hilton College 1st team claimed a 60-55 win over the home side, and their St John’s Basketball Tournament-winning u15A side continued its excellent season, beating Michaelhouse 26-19.

In Gauteng, KES, the runners-up at the St John’s Basketball Tournament, claimed a 10-point win over St Stithians, while St John’s got the better of Jeppe, and St David’s Marist Inanda outplayed CBC Boksburg.

RESULTS

KwaZulu-Natal

St Charles 101-46 Glenwood
Hilton College 60-55 Michaelhouse
Westville Boys High 85-77 Durban High School
Northwood 102-35 Clifton College
Maritzburg College-63-56 Kearsney College

Gauteng

St John’s College 40-31 Jeppe
King Edward VII 42-32 St Stithians College
St David’s Marist Inanda 48-20 CBC Boksburg

Eastern Cape

Queen’s College 16-3 Kingswood (Match abandoned due to inclement weather)
Queen’s College 31-15 Khanyisa

After the South African women’s u17 national team (Bantwana) failed to qualify for the 2024 Fifa u17 Women’s World Cup, to be held in the Dominican Republic in November 2024, it became clear that we, as a country, have a long way to go if we want to compete on the global stage.

As someone who would like to see the investment in football development produce the desired results, I could not help but reflect on those national teams. Like most South African football fans, I ask myself whether the underwhelming results are due to a system that undermines the progress and success of these young boys and girls.

Why do we rely on temporary or stand-in coaches for national development teams?

Is there a lack of resources, which prevents us from having a full-time technical team dedicated to the national programme?

These questions apply to the national teams at the u15, u17, and u20 levels.

There is no intention to undermine the coaches currently serving those teams, but if those coaches are going to be regularly replaced, what impact does that have on those young players?

As it happens, the national junior teams do not have sponsorships, unlike the senior men’s and women’s South African national teams, Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.

The governing body of the country’s football, the South African Football Association (Safa) confirmed this when they set the record straight on Bafana Bafana’s bonuses after an historic run during the Caf Africa Cup of Nations, held in Côte d’Ivoire, where they secured the bronze medal for the first time since the 2000 event, which was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria. There were outcries in the country regarding those and whether or not the players would receive them.

“We further highlight that the payments and bonuses, as agreed with the players, will be paid when the prize monies are received from the Confederations of African Football (Caf).” Safa said in a statement.

“The remaining funds will be utilised in the further development of football. As previously stated, our junior national teams are not sponsored and rely heavily on the senior national teams for funding to help with access to more preparation camps and competitive fixtures. The funds are not intended for members of the national executive committee of the Association or any Safa staff.”

Investment in Youth Football wins you the FIFA World Cup Trophies

There are many good examples that I could refer to, featuring countries that emphasised the development of football and how that has helped them to win international trophies – countries like Spain, France, and Brazil, but I will refer to the case of Germany in this article.

According to New Times, in the early 2000s after a poor performance of the national team at the European Championship in 2000, where they did not win a single game and scored only one goal, a decision was taken to pour almost $ 1 billion into Germany’s youth programs, with academies run by professional teams and training centres being overseen by professionals.

Germany did not win the World Cup in 2002, losing out to a great Brazilian, which included, among others, Kaka, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, who scored both goals in the final, to secure Brazil its fifth and most recent World Cup title, but the improvement was significant.

Further investments were made into the infrastructure of German football, with world-class stadiums being built and facilities for academies being built or upgraded. One of the consequences of those investments was Germany reaching the semi-finals in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which they hosted. They exited after extra time in the semi-finals, losing to the eventual champions, Italy.

After coming close several times, including another semi-final defeat in the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa, to the champions, Spain, the Germans’ efforts finally produced the desired result when they defeated Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the World Cup final in Brazil in 2014.

There was nothing lucky about that win, their fourth World Cup title. It was, rather, the consequence of a sustainable system, an investment for the future, that was put in place and given time to produce results.

According to the Bundesliga Report – “10 Years of Academies – Talent Pools of top-level German Football”, the Bundesliga, the top-flight of German football, made it mandatory for all professional teams to run a youth academy. “By the 2010-11 season, more than half of all Bundesliga players were part of the German academy system“, the report read.

In 2013, two German football clubs, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, contested the Uefa Champions League final at Wembley Stadium in England.

Many of the stars of Germany’s World Cup-winning team of 2014 were the products of the post-2000 system: Mario Götze, who scored the only winning goal in the final, Mats Hummels, Manuel Neuer, Per Mertesacker, Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil, all came through the Bundesliga academies.

Now, back to South Africa and other questions that come up: should Safa and the DStv Premier League follow suit?

What can be done to back the Gauteng Development League, boys and girls, as the league streams are a feeder to the national junior teams?

Northwood’s basketball team has come a long way and Sunday’s victory was testament to the long hard hours of commitment, dedication and hard work, which brought the Knights the title in the 19th edition of the St John’s Basketball Tournament after an unbeaten run through the event.

Northwood’s Director of Basketball, Doug Nedab, and the first team coach, Kent VanderYacht, could not contain their excitement after their side thumped King Edward VII School in the gold medal match.

It was a one-sided title game as Northwood seized control early on and didn’t let up. By the second quarter, it was clear they were on their way to being crowned champions. At half-time, they led 49-19. At the end, they had recorded a runaway 85-43 win.

Nedab told SuperSport Schools Plus he has witnessed the work that has been put in by the players since his arrival at Northwood. “They deserve this moment, especially after last week losing out to Maritzburg College in the final of the Jenny Orchard Basketball Tournament,” he said.

Northwood avenged that setback when they overwhelmed College in the St John’s quarterfinals, scoring an extraordinary 80-41 win.

“I can tell the ups and downs we have had since then,” Nedab said, “and at this tournament, the guys didn’t play like themselves until the quarterfinals, so I’m proud of this outcome.”

Nedab reserved special praise for Lusanda Hlongwane, who was named the MVP of the Tournament, and Chadley Hargreaves, who also made the u19 All-Star Team.

Nedab also lauded the performances of Siyamthanda Shabalala. “Siyamthanda Shabalala, remember the name. He will be the number one player in the country within two years,” Nedab reckoned.

Hilton College wins the u15 St John’s Championship

Another KwaZulu-Natal school got their hands on the u15 trophy, with Hilton College defeating St John’s College to lift the title.

The first two quarters of the championship game were a real battle, with St John’s just holding off their opponents. In the third quarter, however, a number of changes came off for Hilton and they controlled the physical battle to take charge of the contest.

After hitting the front, Hilton forged a lead and stayed in command until the end of the game, which ended 47-36 in favour of the boys in black and white.

TOURNAMENT RESULTS:

U15 Final

Hilton College 47-36 St John’s College

U15 Bronze Final

King Edward VII School 30-22 Michael Mount

U19 Final

Northwood School 85-43 King Edward VII School

U19 Bronze Final

St Albans 47- 40 St Charles

19th St John’s College Basketball Tournament Awards

U13 Awards

Overall Team Spirit – Soweto Academy, Gauteng
Best Overall Defensive Team – St Benedict’s Prep, Gauteng
Best Efficient Team – Saheti School, Gauteng
Best Represented Team – St Andrew’s Prep, Eastern Cape

U15 Awards

Bronze – King Edward VII School, Gauteng
Silver – St John’s College, Gauteng
Gold – Hilton College, Kwazulu-Natal

U15 All-Star Team

Reddy Riday – Michael Mount Waldorf School, Gauteng
Hercil Nde – King Edward VII School, Gauteng
Jowi Cole – Hilton College, KwaZulu-Natal
Reza Creamer – St John’s College, Gauteng

U15 MVP

Litha Madinda – Hilton College, KwaZulu-Natal

U19 Awards

Bronze – St Alban’s College, Gauteng
Silver – King Edward VII School, Gauteng
Gold – Northwood School, KwaZulu-Natal

U19 All-Star Team 

Taite Hendricks – St Charles College, Kwazulu-Natal
Onea Bvumi – St Alban’s College, Gauteng
Chadley Hargreaves – Northwood School, KwaZulu-Natal
Raymond Gordon – King Edward VII School, Gauteng

U19 MVP

Lusanda Hlongwane – Northwood School, KwaZulu-Natal

The stakes are at their peak at the St John’s Basketball College Tournament, with titles on the line on Sunday.

On Saturday, during the playoffs, the level of intensity was ratcheted up as the event proved, once again, why it is recognised as the most prestigious schools’ basketball tournament in Southern Africa.

Defending champions into the semi-finals

The defending champions, St Charles College, are eyeing back-to-back titles after setting up a semi-final showdown with King Edward VII School (KES).

The Johannesburg locals look primed for the clash after beating ESCA Wanderers 57-40 in the last eight, with a combination of good teamwork and individual brilliance.

It has been a relatively untroubled trip for KES, on their way to the semis, but Saints won’t be surrendering their title without a massive fight.

St Charles accounted for their KZN rivals, Michaelhouse, beating them 64-49 to secure a final four spot. That victory followed a hard-fought 57-45 win over St David’s Marist Inanda in the top 16.

Northwood to face St Albans in the final four

Northwood School remains unbeaten in this year’s tournament, although they had an all-too-close 39-36 win over Pretoria Boys High in the top 16. That was merely a scene-setter for an incredible showing against their close rivals, Maritzburg College, who recently defeated them in the final of the 2nd edition of the Jenny Orchard Basketball Tournament in Pietermaritzburg.

This time around, there was only one team in it as the Knights swept College aside by a shocking 80-41 margin to grab a semi-final spot. That result would have sent shockwaves around the schoolboy basketball scene.

St Albans is another team that has displayed considerable charisma and talent. They play as a unit, take care of the ball, move it swiftly, and they’re blessed with players that can both dribble and shoot. They’re also backed up by an incredible fan base, which is hard to ignore. St Alban’s brings team spirit in bucketloads.

Their semi-final against Northwood brings together two unbeaten sides, both undoubtedly with the ability to go all the way. For many, the winners of this clash will be the favourites to lift the title.

St John’s College u15 to the Final 

The St John’s College’s first team lost out to Maritzburg College in the last 16, but the St John’s u15s progressed to the semi-finals on Saturday, setting themselves up for a tilt at Michael Mount, with a place in the final the prize for the winners.

St John’s and St Stithians College met in the quarterfinals in a very evenly contested match, with the tigerish defences of both sides standing out. There were next to nothing in it and the game entered the fourth quarter with the teams level at 29-29.

With the pressure at its greatest, St John’s edged ahead and pulled out a 41-38 victory, with Sechaba Masithela and Reza Creamer leading the way against their determined Johannesburg rivals.

RESULTS

u19

Top 16

St Charles College 57-45 St David’s Marist Inanda
Michaelhouse 50-46 Hilton College
King Edward VII 63-29 Sacred Heart College
Kearsney College 34-49 ESCA Wanderers
Maritzburg College 51-43 St John’s College
St Alban’s College 56-41 Michael Mount
St Benedict’s College 28-26 St Stithians College
Northwood School 39-36 Pretoria Boys High

Quarterfinals

King Edward VII 57-40 ESCA Wanderers
St Charles College 64-49 Michaelhouse
St Benedict’s College 46-52 St Alban’s College
Northwood School 80-41 Maritzburg College

17-24

Clifton College 37-30 Jeppe High
Falcon College 22-25 Waterford Kamhlaba
Parktown Boys’ High 40-33 St Peter’s College
St George’s College 45-47 St Andrew’s College

u19 Semis

King Edward VII vs St Charles College
Northwood School vs St Alban’s College

u15

Top 16

St John’s College 46-29 St Charles College
St Stithians College 46-41 Sacred Heart College
St Benedict’s College 44-35 Northwood School
Michael Mount 42-29 Soweto Basketball Academy
Kearsney College 28-32 King Edward VII
Michaelhouse 40-25 Pretoria Boys High
Hilton College 45-29 Mangaung Knights
Maritzburg College 59-30 St Alban’s College

Quarterfinals

St John’s College 41-38 St Stithians College
St Benedict’s College 31-33 Michael Mount
King Edward VII 38-27 Michaelhouse
Hilton College 71-59 Maritzburg College

17-24

King’s Linbro 12-15 St Peter’s College
Redhill School 24-37 Jeppe High
St Andrew’s College 29-25  Saheti
Clifton College 20-40 St David’s Marist Inanda

Semis

St John’s College vs Michael Mount
King Edward VII vs Hilton College

 

On Friday, the St Charles’ College first team continued their good run at the 2024 St John’s Basketball Tournament, on a quest to successfully defend the title they won last year.

St Charles finished top of Group A after winning all three of their group matches. On the tournament’s second day, Saints thumped a struggling Parktown Boys’ High, 62-39. It’s been a tough challenge for Parktown, who finished bottom of the group after suffering three losses.

Joining St Charles in the knockout stages, and with an eye on winning their own prestigious tournament, were the hosts, St John’s College. They were beaten by St Charles on Thursday but recorded wins over Pretoria Boys High and Parktown in their other outings.

Among the schools from KwaZulu-Natal who have joined St Charles College in the quarterfinals is Northwood School, who are fuelled by some outstanding talent, including Syamthanda Shabalala, Callum Magurno, Lusanda Hlongwane and Chadley Hargreaves. The Knights have played some outstanding basketball in recent weeks, during which they have beaten St Charles and split two games with Maritzburg College, and they finished first in Group B with three wins from three starts.

Northwood were joined by Hilton College from Group B, after Hilton shocked St Stithians in their last group encounter, winning 42-39. Meanwhile, Maritzburg College had to settle for second in Group C, after a tough loss in their first game to St Alban’s College, who were beaten by St David’s Marist Inanda on Friday.

Michaelhouse completed an unbeaten run through Group D, with a win over Clifton College. Michael Mount beat Waterford to secure second place.

St Benedict’s College, the winners of the AISJ Basketball Invitational last month, ended top of Group E, with Kearsney College in second, while King Edward VII ripped through Group F and comfortably claimed top spot ahead of ESCA Wanderers.

Day Two Results 

Results u19

Day Two: St John’s Basketball Tournament

Group A

St Charles 62-39 Parktown
Pretoria Boys High 32-34 St John’s College

Group B

Northwood 54-53 St Stithians
St Peter’s 27-36 Hilton College
Hilton College 42-39 St Stithians
St Peter’s 18-62 Northwood

Group C

St Alban’s 27-33 St David’s Marist Inanda
Maritzburg College 59-26 Jeppe High

Group D

Michaelhouse 35-28 Clifton College
Waterford Kamhlaba 39-51 Michael Mount

Group E

Sacred Heart 31-47 Kearsney College
St Benedict’s 61-26 St George’s College
St George’s College 46-32 Kearsney College
Sacred Heart 40-41 St Benedict’s

Group F

Falcon College 45-44 St Andrew’s College
King Edward VII 56-38 ESCA Wanderers
Falcon College 26-75 King Edward VII
St Andrew’s College 22-60 ESCA Wanderers

St John’s College has opened its doors to visiting teams from across South Africa and beyond its boundaries for the 19th St John’s Basketball Tournament. Sponsored by Standard Bank, and in partnership with Avis Car Rental, the four-day tournament runs from Thursday, 22 February to Sunday, 25 February, and is the biggest basketball tournament in Southern Africa.

Competition across the three age groups on day one was hard-fought, and the hosts were able to score some fantastic wins.

The u13 and u15 hosts off to a good start

The St John’s u13 team held off Redhill School for a narrow 20-17 victory in their opener. Meanwhile, the u15 team, led by their star player Reza Creamer, was more convincing in their first outing, a 49-27 win over Saheti.

St John’s u19

In the St John’s 1st team’s opening contest of the u19 age group, the home side took full advantage of their home ground, facing nearby Parktown Boys’ High. Smooth passing from St John’s allowed them to dominate the contest, and their ability to turn defence into attack was also to the fore, as they secured a 51-30 win.

In their next outing, however, they were unable to overcome the defending champions, St Charles College, who exhibited great chemistry and a deep understanding of each player’s role on the court in a 50-39 victory.

The Pietermaritzburg school had earlier beaten Pretoria Boys High 33-29 to put themselves on top of Group A after day one.

St Albans and Maritzburg College game brought the heat

Two formidable sides met in their opening games in Group C, with St Alban’s College facing Maritzburg College, the recent winners of the Jenny Orchard Basketball Invitational.

They went toe-to-toe, each showing great strength and physicality, with thrust and counterthrust. However, it was St Alban’s who gained the upper hand, frustrating the KZN side as College saw the game slipping through their fingers.

In the end, St Alban’s ran out comfortable 66-45 winners to sound a warning to their future opposition.

One loss, though, will not end a team’s title aspirations. College was beaten in the group stage of the Jenny Orchard Invitational and went on to win the title by reversing their loss to Northwood. Likewise, St Charles College suffered a loss to St David’s Marist Inanda in the group stage of the St John’s Basketball Tournament in 2023, and they reversed that result in the final.

u19 Results

Group A

St John’s College 51-30 Parktown Boys’ High
St Charles College 33-29 Pretoria Boys High
Pretoria Boys High 36-22 Parktown Boys’ High
St John’s College 39-50 St Charles College

Group B

Hilton College 27-45 Northwood School
St Stithians College 54-25 St Peter’s College

Group C

Maritzburg College 45-66 St Alban’s College
Jeppe High 25-34 St David’s Marist Inanda
St David’s Marist Inanda 32-50 Maritzburg College
Jeppe High 34-48 St Alban’s College

Group D

Michael Mount 44-54 Michaelhouse
Waterford 31-44 Clifton College
Michaelhouse 45-25 Waterford
Michael Mount 34-26 Clifton College

Group E

Kearsney College 35-39 St Benedict’s College
St George’s College 45-60 Sacred Heart College

Group F

ESCA Wanderers 44-39 Falcon College
St Andrew’s College 35-65 King Edward VII

u15 Results

Group A

Saheti 27-49 St John’s College
Kearsney College 34-12 Clifton College

Group B

St Andrew’s College 51-35 King’s Linbro
Michael Mount 48-47 Maritzburg College

Group C

Pretoria Boys High 49-27 Northwood
St Stithians 56-29 St Peter’s

Group D

Soweto Academy 42-20 Jeppe High
King Edward VII 22-37 Hilton College

Group E

Michaelhouse 49-30 Sacred Heart
St David’s Marist Inanda 24-34 St Alban’s

Group F

St Charles 47-31 Mangaung Knights
Redhill 11-26 St Benedict’s

South Africa will, once again, miss out on the World Cup experience after the u17 women’s national team “Abantwana‘ bowed out of the 2024 u17 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, with Ethiopia progressing at their expense to the next qualifying round.

On home soil, Abantwana failed to overturn Ethiopia’s 3-0 aggregate advantage from the first leg.

Goals from Manayush Tesfaye and a brace from Hiddat Kassu in Addis Ababa on 4 February put Ethiopia in the driving seat ahead of the second leg clash on 10 February at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.  With that massive advantage, they could tailor-make their approach to ensure they would advance.

Heading into the second leg qualifier, Abantwana had a mountain to climb, even with the home-ground advantage.

Ethiopia had a good game plan lined up and they kept matters tight to prevent Abantwana scoring. After a 0-0 draw, they were on to the next round, and South Africa’s wait for their next opportunity to qualify for the u17 showpiece, which takes place in 2026, had begun.

After the game, the stand-in coach for Abantwana, Nthabeleng Modiko, told Safa.net that her charges had given it their all, but they had failed to convert the chances they created.

“I must admit we played much better today, as we penetrated Ethiopia, but we failed to score, and that’s the only way to win a match.

“Our defence was very solid, and this was a great display of football,” she added.

The qualifying setback comes after the South African u20 Women’s National Team, “Basetsana” crashed out in qualifying for the 2024 Fifa u20 Women’s World Cup, going down to Burundi in October on the away goals rule.

They had the advantage of playing both the first leg and the second leg at the Lucas Moripe Stadium, but they failed to make that advantage count.

The first leg ended in a 0-0 draw, while, after an intense game, the second match ended level at 2-all.

Fans were disappointed with those results, and they shared their frustrations on social media, raising concerns about the progress of South Africa’s national development teams.

On 9 and 10 March, the Panorama Grounds will be buzzing with women’s football action, signalling the start of the 2024 season. Safa Gauteng is behind the event, which features the top eight finishers from Gauteng Women’s Development League (GWDL) and the Safa Gauteng Sasol pre-season games.

Gauteng Women’s Development League 

It has been only a year since the GWDL launched and fireworks are expected as the league prepares for its second season.

The u15 Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies Team made history by becoming the first champions of the GWDL in 2023. Although they were favoured to win the league, JVW FC and Highlands Park did not back down and gave Sundowns a run for their money.

Competition was, for the most part, tight and matches keenly contested.

GWDL Administrator and Gauteng Safa’s Sports Photographer Mondli Dube said players can expect to play more matches in 2024. Last year, the league consisted of only 10 teams in the u15 division, which was the sole age group. For the forthcoming season, the GWDL will change to u14 and u16 divisions.

Once the GWDL’s Top Eight competition concludes, the league season will start. Dube said the players will also enjoy knockout football with a GWDL Youth Cup being introduced this year.

Fixtures for the GWDL Top 8

Mamelodi Sundowns vs Origin FC
JVW FC vs Tornado FC
Highlands Park vs Tuks
RESA vs Panorama

He added that he would like to see more parents and spectators, and other stakeholders, becoming more involved in supporting women’s football, not only in the GWDL but also in the Sasol League and other leagues.

“We would love to have a GWDL sponsor for the GWDL girls,” he said. “We want to see fans continuing their respectful support…just as they did last season.”

Dube said he believes the league will be more competitive in 2024 than it was in 2023, with teams now aware of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

“Last year was a special year, as it was our pilot season. This year, we are moving higher and solidifying the brand of GDL women. Also, people can hear more about the GWDL on Safa Gauteng‘s pages online, on Facebook, Instagram and SuperSport Schools,” he explained.

SAFA Gauteng’s SASOL Pre Games 

The Sasol League’s pre-season games will give the participating clubs an opportunity to assess where they stand ahead of the start of the season. It’s a chance to shake off the rust that might have accrued during the festive season break.

Dube said the league would transition from two streams to one in 2024, which will assist the players in accumulating the hours they need to develop their games further.

“Sasol plays a pivotal role in South African’s women’s football, serving as the backbone of the Hollywoodbets Super League and Banyana Banyana.  We can’t take short cuts. This year we will definitely bring the heat,” he concluded.

Fixtures

Nicko Taurus vs Springs Home Sweepers
Mito Stars vs UJ
Zebra Force vs Diepkloof Ladies
Wits vs Blue Birds
Mathaithai vs Kempton Park
Vikings vs Blue Raycon
Future Stars vs Groesus
JVW vs NWU Vaal

From Thursday, Maritzburg College hosts the Jenny Orchard Invitational Basketball Tournament, with the first tip offs happening at 12:00. The event runs through to 12:30 on Sunday afternoon, when the final of the A Division grabs the spotlight.

A total of 26 u19 teams will be in action, with 16 competing in the A Division and 10 contesting the B Division.

Follow the Jenny Orchard Invitational action live on SuperSport Schools

Google Play Store 📲: SuperSport Schools – Apps on Google Play
IOS App Store 📲: SuperSport Schools on the App Store (apple.com)
Web 💻: https://live.supersportschools.com

Pool A, which includes the defending champions, Michaelhouse, is a tough one to call. ‘House are up against St David’s Marist Inanda, Westville Boys’ High and DHS and they might find it a severe challenge to book a quarterfinal place, which was the stage of the tournament when they caught fire last year.

Pool B features one of KZN’s perennial powers, St Charles College, on-the-rise Clifton College, Rondebosch Boys High and the always competitive St John’s College.

Last year, in October, ‘Bosch, whose basketball will be a bit of an unknown to the KZN and Gauteng schools, finished as runners-up in the u19 division of the Wynberg Basketball Festival, while their u16s lifted the title. Clearly, they have some talent, but Cape Town’s current finest is in Pool D…

Kearsney College, who made the Jenny Orchard semi-finals last year, do battle with the Soweto Basketball Academy, Hilton College and Bishops Diocesan College, and they’ll fancy their chances of a quarterfinal spot.

Maritzburg College, for many the favourites, take on ESCA Wanderers and SACS, the u19 winners of the Wynberg Basketball Festival, who in late January thumped Rondebosch 80-47 behind a school record 46 points from Zade Darkoh-Keeton.

At first glance, though, if there is any team that is going to challenge College for supremacy in the tournament, it’s going to be the other Pool D participant, Northwood.  At the end of 2023, with the same personnel, the schools split a pair of games.

Both are in excellent form. This past weekend, College were 62-40 winners over a solid DHS side, while a stunning second-half surge lifted the Knights to an impressive 76-54 win over St Charles College.

Pool A of the B Section features UFS Invitational, Pinetown’s St Benedict’s School, the Maritzburg College 2nd team, Queen’s College, and Treverton College.

Alexandra High, Botswana’s Maru-a-Pula, the Jenny Orchard Invitational Team, Eswatini’s Enjabulweni Independent School, and Wynberg Boys’ High will duel in Pool B.

FIXTURES

A Division

Thursday

Alan Paton Hall (APH) 1

12:00 – Michaelhouse vs Westville (1); 13:30 – Maritzburg vs Northwood (3); 15:00 – SACS vs ESCA (5); 16:30 – St David’s vs DHS (7)

Alan Paton Hall (APH) 2

12:00 – St Charles vs Clifton (2); 13:30 – Kearsney vs Hilton (4); 15:00 – Rondebosch vs St John’s (6); 16:30 – Soweto vs Bishops (8)

Friday

APH 1

08:00 – Westville vs DHS (9); 09:30 – Michaelhouse vs St David’s (11); 11:00 – ESCA vs Maritzburg (13); 12:30 – LUNCH; 14:00 – SACS vs Northwood (15); 15:30 – DHS vs Michaelhouse (17); 17:00 – Westville vs St David’s (19); 18:30 – Northwood vs ESCA (21); 20:00 – SACS vs Maritzburg (23)

APH 2

08:00 – Rondebosch vs St Charles (10); 09:30 – Clifton vs St John’s (12); 11:00 – Soweto vs Kearsney (14); 12:30 – LUNCH; 14:00 – Hilton vs Bishops (16); 15:30 – Clifton vs Rondebosch (18); 17:00 – St John’s vs St Charles (20); 18:30 – Bishops vs Kearsney (22); 20:00 – Hilton vs Soweto (24)

Saturday

APH 1

08:00 – A3 vs B4 (25) – playoffs 9-16; 09:30 – C3 vd D4 (27) – playoffs 9-16; 11:30 – A1 vs B2 (29) – QF; 13:00 – BREAK; 13:30 – D1 vs C2 (31) – QF; 15:00 – L25 vs L27; 16:30 – W25 vs W27 (35); 18:00 – W29 vs W31 (35) – SF; 19:30 – L29 vs L31 – playoffs 5-8(39)

APH 2

08:00 – B3 vs A4 (26) – playoffs 9-16; 09:30 – D3 vs C4 (28) – playoffs 9-16; 11:30 – B1 vs A2 (30) – QF; 13:00 – BREAK; 13:30 – C1 vs D2 (32) – QF; 15:00 – L26 v L28; 16:30 – W26 vs W28 (36); 18:00 – W30 vs W32 (38) – SF; 19:30 – L30 vs L32 – playoffs 5-8 (40)

Sunday

APH 1

08:00 – W35 vs W36 – 9th/10th (41); 09:30 – W39 vs W40 – 5th/6th (43); 11:10 – Div B Final (45); 12:30 – W41 vs W42 – Div A Final (49)

APH 2

08:00 – L35 vs L36 (42) – 11th/12th; 09:30 – L39 vs L40 (44) – 7th/8th; 11:00 – L37 v L38 (46) – 3rd/4th

B Division

Thursday

GHS 1

16:00 – St Benedict’s vs Maritzburg B (1)

GHS 2

16:00 – Alexandra vs Wynberg (2)

Friday

GHS 1

08:00 – UFS vs Queen’s (3); 09:30 – Treverton vs Maritzburg B (5); 11:00 – UFS vs St Benedict’s (7); 12:30 – LUNCH; 14:00 – Treverton vs Queen’s (9); 15:30 – Maritzburg B vs UFS (11); 17:00 – St Benedict’s vs Treverton; 18:30 – Queen’s vs Maritzburg B (15)

GHS 2

08:00 – Maru-a-Pula vs Invitational (4); 09:30 – Alexandra vs Enjabulweni (6); 11:00 – Maru-a-Pula vs Wynberg (8); 12:30 – LUNCH; 14:00 – Enjabulweni vs Invitational (10); 15:30 – Alexandra vs Maru-a-Pula (12); 17:00 – Wynberg vs Invitational (14); 18:30 Enjabulweni vs Maru-a-Pula (16)

Saturday

GHS 1

08:00 – UFS vs Treverton (17); 09:30 – Queen’s vs St Benedict’s (19); 11:30 – A1 vs B4 – QF; 12:30 – BREAK; 13:00 – A2 vs B3 (23); 14:30 – W21 vs W22 – SF (25); 16:00 – W23 vs W24 – SF (27)

GHS 2

08:00 – Alexandra vs Invitational (18); 09:30 – Enjabulweni vs Wynberg (20); 11:00 – B2 vs A3 – QF; 12:30 – BREAK; 13:00 – B1 vs A4 – QF; 14:30 – L21 vs L22 – playoff 5-8; 16:00 – L23 vs L24 – playoff 5-8

Sunday

GHS 1

08:00 – A5 vs B5 (29) – 9th/10th; 09:30 – L25 vs L27 (31); 11:00 – W33 vs W34 (47) – Div A 13th/14th;

GHS 2

08:00 – L26 vs L28 (30) – 7th/8th; 09:30 – W26 vs 28 (32) – 5th/6th; 11:00 – L33 vs L34 (48) – Div A 15th/16th

Overflow FC u17 and Kathorus Juventus u19 grabbed the spotlight as they were crowned the champions of the 4th edition of the Legacy Soccer Tournament at the Vosloorus Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Contesting the u17 age category, Overflow FC remained strong and consistent over the course of many weeks of intense competition, which brought together some of the finest development football teams from across the Gauteng region.

Having qualified for the semi-finals, Overflow FC faced Kathorus Hyper Academy, which has previously campaigned in the prestigious Gauteng Development League. Overflow FC were up for the challenge, however, and claimed an exciting 3-2 win to book a place in the final against Mojo City FC.

A penalty shootout success had earned Mojo City FC their place in the title-decider. Their final four meeting with Alaska ended level at 1-1 after regulation time. Then, Mojo City advanced 4-3 from the penalty spot.

In the final, though, their luck ran out as Overflow FC secured the silverware with a 3-1 win.

The u19 section of the Legacy Soccer Tournament lived up to its high expectations, with some sparkling football delivering plenty of enjoyment to the fans in attendance.

Mojo City made it all the way to the u19 title game. Unfortunately for them, their u19 side suffered the same fate as their u17 counterparts and they were stopped in the final, with Kathorus Juventus recording a 2-0 victory.

Kathorus Juventus take with them the bragging rights for the next 12 months after succeeding New Jack City FC, who won the third edition of the Legacy Soccer Tournament.

Success and Challenges of the tournament

This year’s tournament featured a record of 36 teams in total, with 20 teams battling it out in the u17 division, while 16 teams featured in the u19 division.

The contenders included teams from the Gauteng Provincial League, as well as regional and local leagues.

In only its fourth year, the competition has already revealed itself as an ideal showcase of young talent.

Backing was provided by the South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA), which sponsored two football kits and R15 000, while The Department of Sports and Recreation also donated two kits. Those four playing kits were then presented to the finalists of both divisions.

During the tournament, it became apparent that some teams had issues meeting the South Africa Football Association (Safa) uniform rules. Another issue was a reduction in support from the local community, with viewing numbers down compared to the last edition of the event.

At the conclusion of the competition, the organisers appealed to more sponsors to come forward to back the tournament to help it continue to grow and achieve its full potential.