Author: sipongco

With the basketball season hitting its stride, many of the country’s leading teams are beginning to cast an eye towards the biggest boys’ basketball event in Southern Africa, the St John’s College Basketball Tournament.

From 22 to 24 February, 768 players, from three countries and four South African provinces, will gather on the courts to showcase their skills across three age groups. Among the teams travelling to St John’s College are Waterford Kamhlaba, from Eswatini, and Falcon College and St George’s College, from Zimbabwe.

Those teams will be competing in the u19 boys’ competition, facing tough opponents like Maritzburg College, from KwaZulu-Natal, and St Benedict’s College, from Johannesburg, who will be among the top contenders.

Towards the end of 2023, at Kearsney College’s Independent Schools Stayers’ Basketball Tournament (ISSBT), Bennies beat College in the final, and both have been in impressive form this year.

Just last weekend, St Benedict’s won the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) Invitational High School Basketball Tournament, convincingly defeating St John’s College 54-30 in the final to keep their unbeaten tournament record intact.

Meanwhile, Maritzburg College’s high-pressure game has been producing highly entertaining and match-winning basketball. Most recently, College visited Michaelhouse, where they powered their way to a big 67-39 win. Their fast-paced play, especially their suffocating defence, makes them a difficult challenge.

Some other KZN schools could be in the running for the title, too. St Charles College is the defending champion. They have a rich pedigree in the sport, and it would be foolhardy to overlook the challenge they pose. In Taite Hendricks and James Wucherer, they have two extremely exciting talents.

Northwood School, meanwhile, can hang with the best of them, as they showed when they beat Maritzburg College 49-35 in the final of the Kearsney Invitational Basketball Tournament, which followed the ISSBT. They had previously gone down 71-81 to College in a regular season fixture.

If the Knights can find their rhythm and consistency, led by Chadley Hargreaves and Lusanda Hlongwane, coach Kent VanderYacht‘s team could pose a real problem for any opponent.

St John’s College dominated the u16 competition at the recent AISJ Invitational, showcasing outstanding skills as they outplayed ESCA 57-39 in the final. One of their standout performers was Reza Creamer, their talented point guard, even though he had moved up an age group for the event. With terrific ball-handling skills and a silky-smooth shot, he will bear watching in the u15 competition.

For those unable to attend the event at St John’s College, the tournament will be broadcast on the SuperSport Schools App, the official media partner of the St John’s Basketball Tournament.

With an exciting and entertaining event anticipated, and the cream of South Africa’s young basketball talent in action, enthusiasts of the sport will be able to enjoy the action from the comfort of their homes.

Fixtures

Thursday, 22 February

Main Court

Court 2

Court 3

Tennis 1

Tennis 2

Long Walk

Friday Fixtures

Main Court

Court 2

Court 3

Tennis 1

Tennis 2

Long walk

Point guard Reza Creamer is rising to basketball stardom in the Gauteng province and capturing the spotlight by making highlight plays with his ball handling and outstanding shooting skills.

Reza, the son of Kenneth Creamer, the CEO of Creamer Media, was born on 13 May 2009. He started playing with balls before he could walk, his dad told SuperSport Schools.

Reza was a keen footballer from the age of six, playing for school teams and for the Wits University Football Club, he added. However, at the age of eight, Reza fell in love with the game of basketball, and it became his number one sport.

His parents, Kenneth Creamer and Faranaaz Veriava are his biggest supporters: “We are very proud of Reza. He works very hard to constantly improve his basketball skills and it is wonderful to see him achieving his dreams,” they said.

“It is a real journey for our family to learn more about the world of basketball, and we continue to meet many interesting people along the way.”

The love of basketball runs deep in Reza’s family, as he has followed in his brother Adams’s footsteps. Adam – who is four years older – and his friends were part of a group of boys who started basketball at The Ridge School, around 2017, under coach Mbulelo Ntshingana, who currently serves as the Club Manager at the Westcliff Eagles Basketball Club in Johannesburg.

Dad Kenneth said Reza got used to playing with his brother Adam and other older boys.

Reza’s passion can be seen through his fighting spirit and a desire to compete at all times. When he was in grade 3, he became a regular starter in the Ridge School first team, alongside boys who were in grade 7.

That extraordinary achievement was recognised when he received a special certificate for his contribution to the first team at a tender age.

Reza has played for the Westcliff Eagles in several tournaments, such as the Junior NBA, in an older age category. He has also won numerous accolades over the past six years, including the Ridge School First Team Leading Scorer Award and Most Influential Player Award in 2022, and the St John’s College u14A Team Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in 2023.

“Reza is a very committed young basketball player. He combines his talent with a lot of hard work,” coach Nthsingana said. “I have been coaching him since he was eight years old, and he has great potential to go very far with his basketball career.

“I have run a few training sessions with Reza, and I find him to be very talented,” commented Vincent Ntunja, from the Cape Town Tigers. “He is a highly skilled basketball player for his age and if he continues with his current form, I think he has the ability and discipline to play at the highest levels of the game.”

To add to his accomplishments, Reza attended basketball camps at the renowned IMG Academy in Florida in 2022 and 2023.

As a 14-year-old player, he was a key member of the Westcliff Eagles u19 Team that participated in the Grassroots Hoops Tournament in Cape Town in June 2023.

At the recent American International School Johannesburg Tournament, Reza was selected to play in an older age group for the St John’s College U16 Team, which won the tournament by beating ESCA Wanderers 57-41 in the final. Reza contributed 14 points in the win, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer.

In 2023, he was selected for the u15 Johannesburg Team to play in the OR Tambo Soncinci Tournament. Unfortunately, that clashed with the Inanda Hoops Tournament and he had to give it a skip.

Reza’s dream is to “go as far as I possibly can in the basketball world”.

“I train every day, including shooting practice, ball handling, and fitness and strength training.

“I do my best to balance my schoolwork with my passion for basketball as I think it is important to do my best both academically and on the basketball court,” he said.

The first big basketball event of 2024 drew a host of top teams from around South Africa to Gauteng over the weekend for the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) Invitational High School Basketball Tournament, with teams testing their mettle at boys’ and girls’ u16 and u19 levels.

In the boys’ u19 competition, it was St Benedict’s all the way at they outplayed St John’s College 54-30 in the final to grab gold in impressive fashion.

Bennies’ passion and hunger was displayed during their unbeaten run in their pool matches, which included a 41-29 win over the hosts, AISJ, and further victories over Michael Mount, Saheti and Hilton College.

Their opponents in the final, St John’s College, emerged from Pool B, even though they had finished with a record of two and two. Westville Boys’ High topped the standings, after wins over St John’s, Maru-a-Pula School, from Botswana, Sacred Heart and St Stithians.

St John’s, third in Pool B, then defeated AISJ, who had finished second in Pool A, 40-37 in the cross-pool playoffs. Westville took on their compatriots from KZN, Hilton College, and comfortably won their showdown 46-29.

As things worked out, St Benedict’s ended up facing Michael Mount in the semis, and Westville took on St John’s once again.

Bennies had won by only one point against Michael Mount in their Pool A match, but when they met again, they recorded a more comfortable 40-34 victory. Westville, who beat St John’s 40-38 in Pool B, couldn’t repeat their winning ways in the rematch and the Johannesburg school scored a 42-33 win.

In the final, it was all about Bennies, who added the AISJ title to their previous wins, in late 2023, in the Kearsney Independent Schools Stayers’ Basketball Tournament and the Pharaoh Inanda Hoops. Westville finished third after a big 57-24 win over Michael Mount.

St John’s tasted title-winning success, nonetheless, after their u16 side ran roughshod over the competition to take gold with an emphatic 57-39 victory over ESCA.

In the girls’ u16 competition, Botswana’s Maru-a-Pula cruised through their Pool B games, while Saheti finished top of Pool A. Maru-a-Pula then accounted for AISJ in the cross-pool playoffs, while Saheti ran out 19-point winners over Herschel.

Unfortunately for Maru-a-Pula, their luck ran out against St Stithians in the semi-finals, where they lost 16-22, while Saheti powered their way to a 40-24 win over Redhill.

Saints had an upset on their mind as for the second time in the day they beat a team that was favoured over them, taking down Saheti by a 26-17 margin to win the tournament. Maru-a-Pula settled for third after a 25-10 win over Redhill.

Herschel and AISJ finished top of their respective pools in the u19 girls’ competition, and they duly went on to meet in the final. There was, sadly for the home supporters, no fairytale ending for AISJ as Herschel claimed a 41-30 victory to complete an unbeaten run through the tournament.

Finals

u16 Girls: St Stithians 26-17 Saheti
u16 Boys: St John’s 57-39 ESCA
u19 Girls: Herschel 41-30 AISJ
u19 Boys: St Benedict’s 54-30 St John’s

The football community across South Africa is gearing up for the 2024 season, with teams turning to pre-season events to shake off some of their rust and to gear up for the challenges that lie ahead.

There’s a rich development scene in the country and many of the sides involved in development leagues will be in action in pre-season tournaments ahead of the start of their local leagues and the many events set to take place over Easter.

Included among the pre-season tournaments that fans can look forward to is the Legacy Tournament, which is set to host its fourth edition.

It’s also set to raise the stakes with the introduction of an u19 division for the first time. Previously, during the first three years of the event, competition took place at u17 level only.

An official launch was held on 21 January and the tournament kicks off on Friday, 26 January.

There’s sure to be a buzz in the air, with an influx of fans and scouts expected to be entertained by thrilling action at the Vosloorus Stadium.

The first three days will be occupied by group stage encounters. From 2 February, the knockout stages begin.

New Jack City are the defending champions after beating Ace Auto Ayoba 2-0 in last year’s final.

u17 Fixtures

U19 Fixtures 

The Invitational Basketball Tournament, which includes four divisions, for u16 and u19 boys and girls, is set to tip off at the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) on Thursday.

In the u19 boys’ competition, Johannesburg schools are well represented, including traditional power St Johns College, who host one of the biggest and most prestigious schools’ basketball tournaments of the year. They’re in Pool B alongside their city neighbours, Sacred Heart College and St Stithians, as well as Maru-a-Pula School, from Botswana, and KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville Boys’ High.

Gearing up for the AISJ basketball tournament, Westville, fourth in 2023, travelled to Maritzburg College for their traditional season-opener this past Saturday. Both teams brought an impressive level of intensity to the contest.

Westville started fast and led after the first quarter, but the home team, supported by a lively crowd, soon found their rhythm and took charge of the contest to record a convincing 75-56 victory over their talented opponents.

The red, black and white rank are among the top handful of teams in the country, so Westville’s challenge should not be lightly dismissed. They are usually very good from the free throw line, and their wins, with the same players, at the end of last year, included victories over Durban High School and a very good Northwood School outfit.

St Benedict’s College, who beat Maritzburg College in the final of the Independent Schools Stayers Basketball Tournament at Kearsney College in October last year, and then won the Pharaoh Inanda Hoops u18 title at the end of October, will bear watching in Pool A. They appear to be the team to beat.

The hosts, AISJ, will join Bennies in Pool A, along with fellow Johannesburg schools, Saheti and Michael Mount. Hilton College makes the trip up from KwaZulu-Natal and completes the Pool A line-up.

Fixtures

u16 Girls

Pool A: Saheti, Saints, St Mary’s Waverley, AISJ
Pool B: Herschel, St Mary’s DSG, Redhill, Maru-a-Pula

Thursday, 25 January

13:00 – Saints vs AISJ, Treehouse 1 (A); Herschel vs Redhill, Treehouse 2 (B); Saheti vs St Mary’s Waverley, Tennis Court 1 (A); Maru-a-Pula vs St Mary’s DSG, Tennis Coury 2 (B)
15:00 – AISJ vs St Mary’s Waverley, Tree House 1 (A); Herschel vs Maru-a-Pula, Treehouse 2 (B)

Friday, 26 January

09:00 – Saheti vs Saints, Treehouse 1 (A); St Mary’s DSG vs Redhill, Treehouse 2 (B)
11:00 – St Mary’s Waverley vs Saints, Treehouse 1 (A); Herschel vs St Mary’s DSG (B); Saheti vs AISJ, Tennis Court 1 (A); Redhill vs Maru-a-Pula, Tennis Court 2 (B)
14:30 – Pool A1 vs Pool B4, Treehouse 1, u16GQF1; Pool B1 vs Pool A4, Treehouse 2, u16GQF2; Pool A2 vs Pool B3, Tennis Court 1, u16GQF3; Pool B2 vs Pool A3, Tennis Court 3, u16GQF4

Saturday, 27 January

09:30 – winner u16QF1 vs winner u16QF4, Treehouse 1, u16GSF1; winner u16GQF2 vs winner u16GWF3, Treehouse 2, u16GSF2; loser u17GQF1 vs loser u16GQF2, Tennis Court 2, consolation
14:30 – winner u16GSF1 vs winner u16 GSF2, Treehouse 1, final; loser u16GSF1 vs loser u16GSF2, Covered Court, 3rd/4th

u16 Boys

Pool A: Michael Mount, St Benedict’s, Saints, ESCA
Pool B: Sacred Heart, St John’s, AISJ, Redhill

Thursday, 25 January

13:00 – Redhill vs AISJ, Gould’s Gym (B); ESCA vs St Benedict’s, Covered Court (A)
15:00 – Michael Mount vs ESCA, Gould’s Gym (B); Sacred Heart vs Redhill, Covered Court (B); St Benedict’s vs Saints, Tennis Court 1 (A); St John’s vs AISJ, Tennis Court 2 (B)

Friday, 26 January

09:00 – ESCA vs Saints, Gould’s Gym (A); AISJ vs Sacred Heart, Covered Court (B); Michael Mount vs St Benedict’s, Tennis Court 1 (A); St John’s vs Redhill, Tennis Court 2 (B)
11:00 – Saints vs Michael Mount, Gould’s Gym (A); St John’s vs Sacred Heart, Covered Court (B)
14:30 – Pool A1 vs Pool B 4, Gould’s Gym, u16BQF1; Pool B1 vs Pool A4, Covered Court, u16BQF2
16:00 – Pool A2 vs Pool B3, Tennis Court 1, u16BQF3; Pool B2 vs Pool A3, Tennis Court 2, u16BQF4

Saturday, 27 January

08:00 – winner u16BQF1 vs winner u16BQF4, Treehouse 1, SF1; winner u16BQF2 vs winner u16BQF3, Gould’s Gym, SF2; loser u16BQF1 vs loser u16BQF2, consolation
09:30 – loser u16BQF3 vs loser u16BQF4, Tennis Court 1, consolation
13:00 – loser u16BSF1 vs loser u16BSF2, Covered Court, 3rd/4th
14:30 – winner u16BSF1 vs winner u16BSF2, Gould’s Gym, final

Girls u19

Pool A: Herschel, King’s Linbro, Maru-a-Pula, Redhill, Sacred Heart
Pool B: AISJ, Michael Mount, St Mary’s Waverley, Saints, Saheti

Thursday, 25 January

12:00 – Maru-a-Pula vs King’s Linbro, Treehouse 1 (A); AISJ vs St Mary’s Waverley, Treehouse 2 (B); Sacred Heart vs Herschel, Tennis Court 1 (A); Saheti vs Michael Mount, Tennis Court 2 (B)
14:00 – Herschel vs Redhill, Treehouse 1 (A); AISJ vs Saints, Treehouse 2 (B)
16:00 – Herschel vs King’s Linbro, Treehouse 1 (A); Saheti vs St Mary’s Waverley, Treehouse 2 (B); Redhill vs Sacred Heart, Tennis Court 1 (A); AISJ vs Michael Mount, Tennis Court 2 (B)
17:00 – Maru-a-Pula vs Redhill, Treehouse 1 (A)

Friday, 26 January

08:00 – Maru-a-Pula vs Sacred Heart, Treehouse 1 (A); St Mary’s Waverley vs Saints, Treehouse 2 (B)
10:00 – Maru-a-Pua vs Herschel, Treehouse 1 (A); Michael Mount vs Saints, Treehouse 2 (B); Redhill vs King’s Linbro, Tennis Court 1 (A); AISJ vs Saheti, Tennis Court 2 (B)
12:00 – Sacred Heart vs King’s Linbro, Treehouse 1 (A); St Mary’s Waverley vs Michael Mount, Treehouse 2 (B)
13:00 – Saints vs Saheti, Treehouse 2 (B)
16:00 – Pool A2 v Pool B3, Treehouse 1, u19GQF1; Pool B2 vs Pool A3, Treehouse 2, u19QF2
17:30 – Pool A1 vs Pool B4, Treehouse 1, u19GQF3; Pool B1 vs Pool A4, Treehouse 2, u19GQF4

Saturday, 27 January

08:00 – Pool A5 vs Pool B5, Tennis Court 1, consolation
11:00 – loser u19GQF1 vs loser u19GQF2, Covered Court, consolation; loser u19GQF3 vs loser u19GQF4, consolation
13:00 – winner u19GQF3 vs winner u19GQF1, Treehouse, u19GSF1; winner u19GQF4 vs winner u19GQF2, Gould’s Gym, u19GSF2
16:00 – loser u19GSF1 vs loser u19GSF2, Gould’s Gym, 3rd/4th
17:00 – winner u19GSF1 vs winner u19GSF2, final

u19 Boys

Pool A: St Benedict’s, Michael Mount, Hilton College, AISJ, Saheti
Pool B: St John’s, Saints, Westville, Sacred Heart, Maru-a-Pula

Thursday, 25 January

12:00 – AISJ vs Saheti, Gould’s Gym (A); Westville vs Saints, Covered Court (B)
14:00 – St John’s vs Sacred Heart, Gould’s Gym (B); Michael Mount vs Hilton (A); St Benedict’s vs Saheti, Tennis Court 1 (A); Westville vs Maru-a-Pula, Tennis Court 2 (B)
16:00 – AISJ vs Michael Mount, Gould’s Gym (A); Sacred Heart vs Saints, Covered Court (B)
17:00 – Westville vs St John’s, Gould’s Gym (B); Hilton vs Saheti, Covered Court (A)

Friday, 26 January

08:00 – Westville vs Sacred Heart, Gould’s Gym (B); St Benedict’s vs AISJ, Covered Court (A); Maru-a-Pula vs Saints, Tennis Court 1 (B), Saheti vs Michael Mount, Tennis Court 2 (A)
10:00 – St Benedict’s vs Michael Mount, Gould’s Gym (A); Sacred Heart vs Maru-a-Pula, Covered Court (B)
12:00 – Saints vs St John’s, Gould’s Gym (B); Hilton vs AISJ, Covered Court (A)
13:00 – St Benedict’s vs Hilton, Gould’s Gym (A); St John’s vs Maru-a-Pula, Covered Court (B)
16:00 – Pool A2 vs Pool B3, Gould’s Gym, u19BQF1; Pool B2 vs Pool A3, Covered Court, u19BQF2
17:30 – Pool B1 vs Pool A3, Gould’s Gym u19BQF3; Pool A1 vs Pool B4, Covered Court, u19BQF4

Saturday, 27 January

08:00 – Pool A5 vs Pool B5, Covered Court, consolation
09:30 – loser u19BQF1 vs loser u19BQF2, consolation
11:00 – winner u19BQF3 vs winner u19BQF1, Treehouse, U19BSF1; winner u19BQF4 vs winner u19BQF2, Gould’s Gym, u19BSF2
13:00 – loser u19BQF3 vs loser u19BQF4, consolation
16:00 – winner u19BSF1 vs winner u19BSF2, Treehouse, final; loser u19BSF1 vs loser u19BSF2, Covered Court, 3rd/4th

Rising star, Emile Witbooi, is now on the books of Cape Town City FC. The club announced he had signed with them on its social media sites on Saturday.

Witbooi is the son of former Cape Town City FC player, Bradley Ralani, who made 104 appearances for the same Blue and Gold Army between 2018 and 2022.

Witbooi, who has represented South Africa at age group level, joins Cape Town City FC from one of the country’s top talent factories, the School of Excellence, which competes in the Gauteng Development League.

“The club welcomes midfielder Emile Witbooi to Cape Town City FC”, read the announcement on social media. “A rising star joins the City family”.

In no time at all, the Internet was buzzing with news of the signing, with fans reacting favourably to the acquisition of the young star, who had attracted the attention of several other clubs, including Mamelodi Sundowns, who were keen on adding him to their ranks.

It wasn’t just the Brazilians who had an eye on Witbooi. In the past, top English Premier League sides, including Manchester United, had shown an interest in him.

Witbooi is expected to play a key role in Cape Town City’s academy, which means he will be run out for the club when it competes in the forthcoming Engen Cup. He is also expected to feature in the reserve team, which competes in the Multichoice Diski Challenge, the reserve league of the DStv Premiership.

After hosting a successful u18 Interprovincial Basketball tournament in 2023, Basketball South Africa is preparing to host an u16 National Championships, which will be played in Durban from 24-29 March.

It marks an important step forward for the game in South Africa.

When the u18 inter-provincial tournament was held in July 2023 in Bloemfontein, Gauteng dominated the girls’ and boys’ competitions.

It was, however, a back-and-forth battle for the girls’ title between the Western Cape and Gauteng. The Capetonians came close to pulling off a victory, scoring 61 points, but they came up just five points shy of Gauteng, who came away with a 66-61 victory. 

Another epic battle was fought for the boys’ title between Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Both teams brought it, producing 148 points between them, but it was Gauteng who edged the result, winning 76-72.

Those u18 National Championships were a turning point for Basketball SA, which had last hosted an u18 inter-provincial tournament in 2014.

It has taken time to rebuild the sport since then, primarily due to Basketball SA facing funding issues. However, support from the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc), through allocations from the Department of Sports, Art and Culture, has ensured the return of the u18 event and the introduction of the u16 National Championship.

South Africa’s u17 women’s national football team, Bantwana, are in training camp preparing for two FIFA U17 World Cup qualifying matches.

With only three slots available for the African continent, South Africa will aim to make it to the World Cup for a third time. Previously, they qualified for the big event in 2010 and 2018. The Dominican Republic will host the u17 World Cup from 16 October to 3 November 2024.

Bantwana next faces Ethiopia in a two-legged tie, with the first leg taking place on 2 February, followed by the second leg on 10 February. The match on 2 February will be played away, while the return leg will be hosted at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgville, Pretoria.

Speaking to SAFA Media, South Africa’s u17’s Head Coach Nthabeleng “Dunga” Modiko said she’s focussing on the fitness level of his squad, with the players having recently returned from the festive period. Nthabeleng said it is important for them to be at the same level of preparedness.

Bantwana were last in action in October 2023 when they travelled to Morocco for two matches against Morocco’s u17 national women’s team.  The first match, played at Mohammed VI Football Complex in Sale on 2 October, ended in a 1-1 draw.

In the second clash, South Africa went down 0-2 at the Pere Jego Stadium in Casablanca, with Mohktar Jamai and Meyssane Layachi netting for the home side.

Preliminary Squad 

On 20 March, the Victoria Park High Soccer Challenge will aim for new heights as it celebrates two decades of the football competition.

In a milestone year, the stakes are even higher than usual. Top schools, such as Brebner High School from Bloemfontein, who were crowned the champions of the 2023 St David’s Challenge Cup after defeating King Edward VII 2-1 in the final, will be in action.

Another impressive side that will visit Gqeberha for a second time is Durban’s Northwood, who won the u18 Plate final last year.

The Draw 

u18 Boys

The u18 boys’ competition is stacked with exciting and tough teams, featuring serial champions and competitors from different regions.

Last year’s winners, Urban Academy, won’t be defending their title as it coincides with the second edition of their home tournament. Next year, they hope to have arranged dates that don’t clash, so that they can return to the Victoria Park Soccer Challenge.

Nonetheless, formidable local sides, such as Dale College, Alexander Road and Selborne, will be eager to challenge the top visiting teams, like Brebner and Northwood, for the honours.

Girls’ Draw

Alexander Road, in Group C, the runners-up at last year’s 19th edition of the Victoria Park girls’ competition, will play against Fairmont, from Cape Town, and Makhanda’s Diocesan School for Girls in their quest to be crowned the 2024 champions of the Victoria Park Soccer Challenge.

u16 Boys

Another division that promises to deliver a thrilling competition is the u16 boys’ event. The home side, Victoria Park, will defend the crown they claimed in style last year by thumping Hudson Park 4-0 in the final. They’ll face a stiff challenge, with Dale College, Selborne and Hudson Park, among others, aiming to get their hands on the silverware.

A month after lifting the Gauteng Development League Youth Cup at Marks Park, Johannesburg, Kaizer Chiefs’ young sensation, Mfundo Vilakazi, has made a dream start to the new year.

On Saturday afternoon, he played a starring role for the Carling All Stars team, which was chosen by the fans. Facing the reigning champions of the 2023 Carling Black Label Tournament, Stellenbosch FC, the All Stars ran out 2-1 winners at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Limpopo.

Only weeks ago, Vilakazi made the step up to the first team on 23 December for a DStv Premiership clash against Richards Bay FC, which Chiefs won by a goal to nil.

His performances over the past season have drawn widespread praise and high hopes for the future success of the teenager.

It was Vilakazi who opened the scoring in Saturday’s showdown, finding the back of the net with a stunning freekick, which left Stellenbosch goalkeeper, Sage Stephens, well beaten.

With Orlando Pirates‘ coach Jose Riveiro pulling the strings, Kaizer Chiefs’ talisman, Ashley Du Preez, converted from the spot to make it 2-0.

A reply from Mervin Boji cut the lead in half, but it was, ultimately, not quite enough to help Stellies defend their crown.