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Seventeen-year-old South African Luke Baartman is reportedly being tracked by Scottish giants, Glasgow Celtic, and English Championship club, Leeds United, ahead of the January transfer window.

Scottish newspapers, especially, have been filled with news of The Bhoys’ interest. They’re coached by Brendan Rodgers, who has also served as coach of Liverpool and Leicester City, among others.

Leeds, coached by Daniel Farke, while in the Championship, are in position to make a run at the Premier League. They’re currently third in the standings and in the thick of the race for promotion.

Still in school, Baartman is viewed as one of the best prospects in South Africa. On Tuesday, he was named the SAFA Cape Town Junior Football Player of the Year.

Earlier this month, he opened his DStv Premiership goal-scoring account for Cape Town Spurs, finding the back of the net against Kaizer Chiefs in a game that Spurs lost 2-3.

The Cape Town club is in desperate need of goal-scoring. They’re currently bottom of the 16-team Premier League standings, having netted just nine times in 11 matches.

Until recently, Baartman enjoyed the guidance of former Cape Town Spurs and Charlton Athletic striker Shaun Bartlett, Bafana Bafana’s second all-time leading goal-scorer. Bartlett was manager of Spurs, but he was sacked at the beginning of October.

While Celtic is a club with a great heritage and wonderful supporters, South African footballers have a particularly rich history with Leeds United. It began with Albert Johanneson, who joined the Yorkshire club in 1961.

A skilful left wing, he turned out in 172 matches for the club and scored 48 goals. He was also the first black player to appear in the FA Cup Final in 1965 in a game which Liverpool won 2-1 after extra time.

Philemon “Chippa” Masinga, best known for the spectacular goal he scored against the Republic of Congo in 1997, which secured South Africa’s place at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, spent three seasons with Leeds, from 1994 to 1996, but his former Bafana Bafana team-mate and captain, Lucas Radebe, is the South African player most associated with The Whites.

Known as “The Chief”, and a fan favourite, Radebe was one of the English Premier League’s most dominant central defenders during his time with the club, during which he played 201 games for them, from 1994 to 2005.

He also captained the English club at a time when it consistently finished near the top of the table and played in Europe’s leading club competitions.

The u17 international Mirnawan Cup, being played in Malaysia, has reached its halfway mark and, so far, the South African national hockey teams have put on an impressive showing against some of the world’s best on the turf.

The girls’ and boys’ teams landed in Southeast Asia with intentions of making an impact, and to rule out any idea that they were there to make up the numbers.

Led by Northwood’s Justin Collins (boys), and Waterkloof’s Omari Pienaar-Geyer respectively, the squads appeared to be strong and competitive.

However, they were also not naïve, knowing well the size of the challenge that awaited them in the form of some of the world’s leading international teams.

In their opening match on Sunday, the girls tasted defeat, going down 1-4 to Japan, in a match in which they could have achieved more, considering the many opportunities that they created.

Tara Pakendorf, from Durban Girls College, scored the solitary goal for South Africa, while her fellow schoolmate, Emily Macquet, scooped the Player of the Match accolade after turning in an impressive showing.

Geyer’s side was soon back in action on Monday, this time around against Malaysia B. From the opening whistle, South Africa rocketed out of the blocks, playing commanding hockey, maintaining ball possession, and capitalising on their opportunities.

They slammed home a mammoth eight goals, while a superb defensive effort, which was applauded by the management, saw them keep a clean sheet.

Thabelani Metu, who hails from Lilyfontein High School in East London, stole the show, netting four times. Unsurprisingly, she took home the Player of the Match award.

South Africa will be satisfied with the outcome of their third match, after playing to a goalless draw against powerhouses, Australia. Hoerskool Monument’s Hannah Quinton was picked as one of the influential players in that match.

The side will have a day’s rest on Wednesday, before resuming their campaign with fixtures against Malaysia A and India, on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

The boys’ team, on the other hand, will enter their final pool matches high in confidence, despite losing their opening match 2-3 against Australia.

In that match, Australia started on the front foot, scoring two goals in the first two quarters to leave the South Africans trailing at the halfway point.

The second half was tightly contested with Collins’ team playing most of the hockey and creating opportunities.

South Africa struck twice, with Selborne College’s Tre’ Gilbert netting the first from a penalty corner. SACS’s stalwart, Litha Kraai, also struck to make it close, but Australia held on for the win.

An impressive showing from Durban High School’s Lethabo Bogacwi earned him the Man of the Match award.

The South Africans quickly moved on from that one-goal defeat and, when they faced Malaysia B, they demonstrated their potential to its fullest.

The visitors outplayed the hosts from the first quarter, and scored a whopping 11 goals, while conceding only one, to get their campaign back on track.

The goal-scoring festival was led by skipper, Rubel Sendzul, who netted two penalty corners, and a field goal.

The ever-present Litha Kraai got himself on the scoresheet again, contributing two of his own, while the remainder of the goals were spread around, with Joshua Smit, Joshua Mettler, Grant Bridgeford, Lethabo Bogacwi, Ethan Lee, and Reece Theunis all finding their way onto the scoresheet. James Grieve was named the Man of the Match.

Collins’ side will, after taking a well-deserved day’s break, return to action against Malaysia A and the highly rated India, on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Forthcoming Fixtures

Boys

Thursday, 23 November: 04:00 (SAST)- South Africa vs Malaysia A

Friday, 24 November: 04:00 (SAST)- South Africa vs India

Girls

Thursday, 23 November: 11:00 (SAST)- South Africa vs Malaysia A

Friday, 24 November: 09:00 (SAST) – South Africa vs India

The highly anticipated 2nd edition of the Gender-based Violence (GBV) Soccer Tournament is set to take place this coming weekend, 25th-26th of November, at the Bongweni Location in Cookhouse.

The event, which is being hosted by the Cookhouse Sustainable Community Development Forum (CSCDF), features 10 teams – eight men’s and two women’s – who will be competing for the title of champions.

The first edition of the tournament was hosted in November 2022. Following its success, the Cookhouse Wind Farm chose to continue its partnership with the CSCDF and return with a second instalment of the event.

The Chairman of the CSCDF, Fezekile Cotani, recognised an urgent need to address ongoing issues of gender-based violence in the community and its surroundings.

Cotani said most women in the surrounding areas have been subjected to abusive relationships due to high levels of alcoholism among their male counterparts.

“To raise awareness and to promote a culture of respect and equality, we have decided to host the Gender-Based Violence tournament and use the popular sport of soccer to shine the spotlight on this scourge”, he said.

The CSCDF, with its partner Cookhouse Wind Farm, is committed to making a positive impact and to fostering lasting change in the lives of livelihoods affected by Gender-based violence.

“Addressing these problems is paramount in creating a safer, more equal community where GBV is not tolerated. The GBV Soccer tournament aims to raise awareness but also provide opportunities for education, empowerment and community engagement. By doing so, we hope to contribute to a society where everyone can live freely from the fear of violence and discrimination”, Cotani wrote.

SuperSport Schools will be streaming the tournament’s games, so if you can’t make it to the grounds at the Bongweni sports field, you can watch them on the SuperSport Schools App or channel 216 on DStv. The venue was selected for its central location and accessibility to competing teams and fans of the beautiful game.

For the first time, in 2023, two women’s teams will be in action.

PURPOSE

“The purpose of the GBV Soccer tournament is to raise awareness about gender-based violence and to promote a culture of respect, equality and non-violence within our communities,” Cotani said. “Through this event, we aim to aim to achieve a number of objectives: promote gender equality, empower survivors of gender-based violence, foster community engagement, collaborate with stakeholders, and raise funds for GBV support services. Through these objectives, we envision creating a safer, more supportive and inclusive community.”

Added Attractions

The GBV soccer tournament will be preceded by a Gala Dinner facilitated by Noloyiso Bonga, a sports presenter on Umhlobo Wenene FM. Tru-FM radio personalities, Slujah Bunu, who presents the Lunch Time Shandis, and Luyolo Mkalipi, a sports presenter of TruBreakfast show, will also attend the event to show their support.

Entrepreneur and author, Luvuyo “Vovo” Ngxiki, will be the keynote speaker at the Gala Dinner.

CSCDF Chairman Fezekile Cotani said: “This exciting event will create 25 job opportunities for residents, fostering economic empowerment within the community. Vendors will have an opportunity to sell their products on the field, a further boost to the local economy.”

Fixtures

Match 1: 10:00

Youth Cosmos vs Goal Fighters

Match 2: 12:00

Blue Crane FC vs Crusaders FC

Match 3: 14:00

Bongweni United vs Blue Crane Soccer Academy

Match 4: 16:00

City Spurs vs Mighty Boys

 

 

The fixtures for this year’s edition of the Water Polo Inter-Provincial tournament, set to be hosted in Gqeberha from 9-13 December, have been released. The tournament brings together the country’s top players in the Windy City for what could be a tournament for the ages.

The girls’ section in this year’s tournament has scaled down from 11 teams to 10, while Boland has been replaced by the Northern Tigers.

The home side, Nelson Mandela Bay, will kick off proceedings with a clash against Central Gauteng B on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, last year’s champions, the Central Gauteng A side, will face Western Province B in the match of the day.

Buffalo City, coached by the experienced Hanna Muller, will play two matches, firstly facing KwaZulu-Natal at midday, before taking on the Eastern Gauteng team in the final game of the day.

The hosts, Nelson Mandela Bay, took away the bronze medal in last year’s edition hosted in KwaZulu-Natal. They’ll be aiming to climb two further steps up the ladder in front of their home supporters.

Their team is full of experienced players plying their trade for some of the best schools in the province.

Diocesan Girls School and Kingswood College dominate the team, while Teagan Harty and Jorja Ross, from Pearson High School, add their skills to the mix.

Nelson Mandela Bay will be deeply tested on day two when they face one of the favourites, Western Province A, before finishing the day with a clash against the Northern Tigers. They complete their pool schedule against Zimbabwe on Monday, 11 December.

The other team to keep a close eye on is, without a doubt, last year’s winners, the Central Gauteng A team. Not only did they dominate in the girls’ section, but their boys made it a double by claiming victory in KZN.

The Gautengers will be counting on the experience of Jenna Penny, who was selected for the SA Schools team last year.

Penny will be aiming to go back-to-back alongside her St Stithians’ schoolmates, Lauren Fox, Charlotte Crick, and Gina Sguazzin.

Penny’s side will play against KwaZulu-Natal on day two, before jumping in the pool to play two competitive matches on the final day of the round-robin stages against Buffalo City and Eastern Gauteng respectively.

Another eye-catching match to look out for is the clash between Zimbabwe and the Northern Tigers on day two.

Day three will be mouth-watering: Buffalo City will have their sights set on an upset win over Central Gauteng A, while a clash of the titans is on the cards between KwaZulu-Natal and Western Province.

*The final will be played on the 13^th of December at 10:50 at the Grey High School swimming pool.

POOLS

Group A: Central Gauteng B, Nelson Mandela Bay, Northern Tigers, Western Province A, Zimbabwe.

Group B: Buffalo City, Central Gauteng A, Eastern Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Western Province B.

FIXTURES

Saturday 9, December:

*All fixtures will be played at the Newton Park Swimming Pool on Day 1.

12:00- Nelson Mandela vs Central Gauteng B; 13:05- Kwa-Zulu Natal vs Buffalo City; 14:10- Zimbabwe vs Western Province A; 15:15- Western Province B vs Central Gauteng A; 16:20- Central Gauteng B vs Northern Tigers; 17:25- Buffalo City vs Eastern Gauteng.

Sunday, 10 December:

*The first three fixtures of day 2 will be played at Alexander Road High School – the rest, at Newton.

12:20- Nelson Mandela vs Western Province A; 13:25- Kwa-Zulu Natal vs Central Gauteng A; 14:30- Zimbabwe vs Northern Tigers; 17:00- Western Province B vs Eastern Gauteng; 18:05- Nelson Mandela Bay vs Northern Tigers.

Monday, 11 December:

*All fixtures on Day 3 will be played at the Newton Park Swimming Pool.

09:40- Kwa-Zulu Natal vs Eastern Gauteng; 10:45- Central Gauteng B vs Western Province A; 11:50- Buffalo City vs Central Gauteng A; 12:55- Nelson Mandela Bay vs Zimbabwe; 14:00– Kwa-Zulu Natal vs Western Province B; 15:05- Western Province A vs Northern Tigers; 16:10- Eastern Gauteng vs Central Gauteng A; 17:15- Zimbabwe vs Central Gauteng B; 18:20- Buffalo City vs Western Province B.

The 2024 ICC u19 Cricket World Cup, which had been scheduled to be hosted by Sri Lanka from 13 January to 4 February, was on Tuesday awarded to South Africa after the International Cricket Council suspended the Sri Lanka Cricket Board.

This follows allegations of government interference in the running of the federation. No longer will the island nation be the hosts of the u19 event, but their teams are, however, allowed to continue to compete internationally.

Commenting on the change of venue, in Colombo, Sri Lankan Cricket Board Assistant Secretary Krisantha Kapuwatte told reporters: “This decision is something that makes the entire nation sad.”

South Africa hosted the ICC u19 Cricket World Cup for a second time in 2020. It had previously welcomed the world’s best u19 players in 1998, when the event expanded to 16 finalists for the first time.

At the 2020 event, South Africa finished only eighth on home soil, with Bangladesh beating India by three wickets in the final to win the title for a first time.

That South African team included Gerald Coetzee, who was recently named in the Team of the Tournament, along with Quinton de Kock, at the conclusion of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. Coetzee, when he was in grade 11, had made the Team of the Tournament at the 2018 u19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand, but struggled with injury in 2020.

South Africa has won the u19 Cricket World Cup once previously. In 2014, the team, captained by Aiden Markram, who was named the Man of the Series, took the title after a six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the final.

That side also included Kagiso Rabada and Andile Phehlukwayo, who both did duty at the recent World Cup in India.

The u19 Cricket World Cup is held biennially. India which, remarkably, has never hosted the event, despite it being held 14 times, has won the most titles, with five victories.

Australia has been crowned the champions on three occasions, while Pakistan has twice taken the honours. Along with South Africa and Bangladesh, England and the West Indies have won the u19 Cricket World Cup once each.

India is the defending champion, having beaten England by four wickets in the 2022 final, played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

The provisional South African squad for the 2024 u19 Cricket World Cup was announced on 10 November:

David Teeger (captain, Lions), Esosa Aihevba (Lions), Adam Cannata (Titans), Bennie Hansen (Western Province), Juan James (Western Province), Martin Khumalo (Easterns), Kwena Maphaka (Lions), Dewan Marais (Easterns), Riley Norton (Boland), Nqobani Mokoena (KwaZulu-Natal Coastal), Romashan Pillay (KwaZula-Natal Coastal), Sipho Potsane (Lions), Lhuan-dré Pretorius (Lions), Richard Seletswane (Lions), Juan Steyn (Easterns), Oliver Whitehead (Western Province), Steve Stolk (Titans), and Ntando Zuma (KwaZulu-Natal Inland).

Management

Malibongwe Maketa (Head Coach), Blanche Conradie (Team Manager), Thabang Kumalo (Fielding Coach), Justin Sammons (Batting Coach), Paul Adams (Bowling Coach), Curtly Diesel (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Salih Solomon (Team Doctor), Sheenagh Jordaan (Physiotherapist) and Kyle Southgate (Performance Analyst).

Arguably the most interesting game of day one of the 2023 Schools Water Polo South Africa Inter-Provincial Tournament in Gqeberha, on Saturday, 9 December, features a clash between two teams that are very familiar with one another, Western Province A and Western Province B.

While Western Province A are the favourites to win the boys’ u19 title, based mostly on the outstanding successes of SACS this season, and the fine performances of Paul Roos, who pushed the Cape Town school hard throughout, contests between teams from the same region, who are very familiar with one another, are notoriously difficult to predict, much like traditional rivalries, where previous form often counts for nought.

Giving Group B a bit of a hometown vibe and joining the two Western Province sides in the group, are Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay. Central Gauteng B completes the group.

Neighbours Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay meet in the last match on day one. It starts at 19:35 and should draw a bit of a crowd.

Group A has six sides, one more than Group B, and features the KwaZulu-Natal A and KwaZulu-Natal B teams, along with Eastern Gauteng, Northern Tigers, Zimbabwe and Central Gauteng A. One imagines the battle for the top spot will be between KZN A and Central Gauteng A.

KZN A features players from only three schools – Clifton College, Hilton College and Westville Boys’ High – but that could well be an advantage for the team from the east coast. Combinations and familiarity among the players should prove to be a positive for the side.

Central Gauteng A, meanwhile, features six players from St John’s College, who proved that they remain among the country’s elite teams with a string of strong performances at the Clifton Water Polo Tournament, SACS Water Polo Tournament and St Stithians Invitational.

Of course, SACS stole the show in those three, capturing the silverware on each occasion. In the first two, they beat Paul Roos in the finals, while they narrowly defeated St John’s 7-6 in the latter event. That’s why Western Province are the favourites.

Six players from SACS are in the Province A team, including Nicholas Fall and Noah Bigara, who will give their team a sharp edge on the offensive end. They’ll surely have a big role to play in their team’s challenge for the honours.

Throughout the season, and consistently just behind the Western Province big guns of SACS and Paul Roos was Clifton, who placed third in their home pool and third in the SACS’ pool, where they also handed SACS their only defeat in the three events during a clash in the group stages. Much of the reason for the Durban powerhouse’s successes during the season was their cohesion and familiarity with one another.

Hilton College twice had to settle for fourth after losing out to Clifton, but they contribute four strong players to the KZN squad, while Westville brings five players into the mix, including goalkeeper Nathan Jacob, who has the ability to be a match-winner on his day.

Much like day one’s clash between the two Western Province teams will be a fascinating showdown, so, too, will day two’s meeting of KZN A and KZN B.

Day three, Monday, 11 December, will feature the biggest of the group stage matches, when KZN A and Central Gauteng A meet at 11:00. That duel will likely decide who tops Group A and who finishes second. The runners-up will then have to play the third-place team from Group B for a shot at the Group B winners, which will likely be Western Province A.

That, of course, is if the expected results unfold. On paper that’s what should happen, but games are played in the pool and not on paper, and predictions seldom prove 100 percent accurate.

The Inter-Provincial competition wraps up on Wednesday, 13 December, with the final being played at Grey High School at 13:25.

FIXTURES

(First teams mentioned in white caps. All games at Grey High unless otherwise stated)

Saturday, 9 December

B1 – 12:00 – Eastern Gauteng vs Central Gauteng A, Group A
B2 – 13:05 – Central Gauteng B vs Buffalo City, Group B
B3 – 14:10 – KwaZulu-Natal A vs Zimbabwe, Group A
B4 – 15:15 – Northern Tigers vs Central Gauteng A, Group A
B5 – 16:20 – Western Province B vs Western Province A, Group B
B6 – 17:25 – KwaZulu-Natal A vs Eastern Gauteng, Group A
B7 – 18:30 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Zimbabwe, Group A
B8 – 19:35 – Buffalo City vs Nelson Mandela Bay, Group B

Sunday, 10 December

B9 – 07:00 – KwaZulu-Natal A vs Northern Tigers, Group A
B10 – 08:05 – Central Gauteng B vs Western Province B, Group B
B11 – 09:10 – Zimbabwe vs Eastern Gauteng, Group A
B12 – 10:15 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Central Gauteng A, Group A
B13 – 11:20 – Western Province A vs Nelson Mandela A, Group B
B14 – 12:25 – Zimbabwe vs Northern Tigers, Group A
B15 – 13:30 – Western Province B vs Buffalo City, Group B
B16 – 14:35 – KwaZulu-Natal A vs KwaZulu-Natal B, Group A
B17 – 15:40 – Central Gauteng B vs Nelson Mandela Bay, Group B
B18 – 16:45 – Northern Tigers vs Eastern Gauteng, Group A
B19 – 17:50 – Zimbabwe vs Central Gauteng A, Group A
B20 – 18:55 – Western Province A vs Buffalo City, Group B

Monday, 11 December

B21 – 08:50 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Northern Tigers, Group A
B22 – 09:55 – Western Province B vs Nelson Mandela Bay, Group B
B23 – 11:00 – KwaZulu-Natal A vs Central Gauteng A, Group A
B24 – 12:05 – Western Province A vs Central Gauteng B, Group B
B25 – 13:10 – KwaZulu-Natal B vs Eastern Gauteng, Group B

Tuesday, 12 December

B26 – 10:40 – Group A 6 vs Group B 5, progression qualifier
B27_CO1 – 11:45 – Group A 2 vs Group B 3, Crossover 1
B28_CO2 – 12:50 – Group B 2 vs Group A 3, Crossover 2
B29_SF1 – 17:35 – Group B 1 vs winner game 27 (CO1), semifinals 1
B30_SF1 – 18:40 – Group A 2 vs winner game 28 (CO2), semifinals 2
B31 – 18:50 – Group A4 vs loser game 27 (CO1), middle qualifier 1, Newton Park
B32 – 19:55 – Group B4 vs loser game 28 (CO2), middle qualifier 2, Newton Park

Wednesday, 13 December

B33 – 10:10 – Loser game 29 (SF1) vs Loser game 30 (SF2), 3rd/4th, Newton Park
B34 – 11:15 – Winner game 31 vs Winner game 32, 5th/6th, Newton Park
B35 – 12:20 – Loser game 31 vs Loser game 32, 7th/8th, Newton Park

13:15 Introduction of Boys’ u19 Tournament Finalists

B36 – 13:25 – Winner game 29 (SF1) vs Winner game 30 (SF2), Final
B37 – 13:25 – Group A 5 vs Winner game 26, 9th/10th, Newton Park

The annual Craven Week presented by Stadio will be hosted in Krugersdorp for the first time since the inaugural tournament was held back in 1964.

Monument of Krugersdorp will play host to the tournament. The school was scheduled to host the tournament back in 2020 during their centenary celebrations.

The tournaments of 2020 and 2021 was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The unofficial champions of this year’s tournament in George, Western Province, will kick-off their campaign on the opening day against the Sharks.

Eastern Province who also finished the tournament in George with their unbeaten record intact will face Border in their opening match in Krugersdorp.

The hosts, the Golden Lions, will face their neighbours from up-north, the Blue Bulls, in their opening clash of the tournament. The main curtain raiser for this match-up in the second day will be between the Free State and Griffons.

The last time these two side’s met at the week was back in 2015 when the Griffons produced an inspired performance in Stellenbosch to defeat Free State by 41-27.

The Fixtures: 

DAY 1 

Western Province vs Sharks
Eastern Province vs Border
Boland vs Leopards
South Western Districts vs Valke

DAY 2

Blue Bulls vs Goldens Lions
Free State vs Griffons
Pumas vs Limpopo Blue Bulls
Griqualand West vs Western Province XV

The 2024 cricket season will roar into action on the 11th of January next year at the annual Paarl Boys’ High Cricket Festival. With 28 first teams and 24 u15 teams competing over the four days, it is one of the largest festivals of its kind in South Africa.

Watch all the games on SuperSport Schools – Register now

With strong competition travelling from all over the country to face some of the Boland’s best over the course of four days, it promises to be an action-packed introduction to the new season.

The hosts begin the proceedings with a timed cricket match against Hoërskool Outeniqua, from George, on the first day.

On the second day, Boishaai face Garsfontein in a 50-overs showdown before taking on Noordheuwel on the Saturday.

They end their campaign with an exciting fixture against St John’s College, from Johannesburg.

With a selection of 26 games available each day, there will undoubtedly be an abundance of high-quality cricket to enjoy, and after the 2023 festival, expectations are high.

After Boishaai’s first match against Garsfontein ended undecided at this year’s event, despite a massive innings of 182 by Johan Wege, they went on to beat Noordheuwel and Westville Boys’ High before coming up tantalisingly short against St John’s College on the final day, losing by just 14 runs.

The locals will have a shot at redemption when they again face St John’s on the final day of the 2024 event.

The Fixtures

11 January 2024 (Time cricket)

Paarl Boys’ High vs Hoërskool Outeniqua (Brug A)
Paarl Gimnasium vs Marais Viljoen (Paarl Gimnasium A)
Paul Roos Gimnasium vs St John’s College (Paul Roos Oval)
Hoërskool Bellville vs Noordheuwel (Bellville A)
Stellenberg vs Montana (Stellenberg A)
Parel Vallei vs Cornwall Hill College (Parel Vallei A)
Brackenfell vs J.T.G (Brackenfell A)
Curro Durbanville vs Northcliff (Curro Durbanville A)
Hoërskool Durbanville vs Waterkloof (Durbanville A)
Somerset College vs Helpmekaar (Somerset College A)
HTS Drostdy vs Centurion (HTS Drostdy A)
Boland Landbou vs Noord-Kaap (Boland Landbou A)
Garsfontein vs Westville Boys’ High (Schalk Burger)
Hans Moore vs Diamantveld (Paul Roos B)

12 January 2024 (50 Overs)

Paarl Boys’ High vs Garsfontein (Brug A)
Paarl Gimnasium vs Noordheuwel (Paarl Gimnasium A)
Paul Roos Gimnasium vs Marais Viljoen (Paul Roos Oval)
Hoërskool Bellville vs Northcliff (Bellville A)
Stellenberg vs Helpmekaar (Stellenberg A)
Parel Vallei vs Noord-Kaap (Parel Vallei A)
Brackenfell vs Montana (Branckenfell A)
Curro Durbanville vs Centurion (Curro Durbanville)
Hoërskool Durbanville vs Cornwall Hill College (Durbanville A)
Somerset College vs St John’s College (Somerset College A)
HTS Drostdy vs J.T.G (HTS Drostdy A)
Boland Landbou vs Diamantveld (Boland Landou A)
Hans Moore vs Westville Boys’ High (Paul Roos B)
Hoërskool Outeniqua vs Waterkloof (Schalk Burger)

13 January (50 Overs)

Paarl Boys’ High vs Noordheuwel (Brug A)
Paarl Gimnasium vs Cornwall Hill College (Paarl Gimnasium A)
Paul Roos Gimnasium vs Westville Boys’ High (Paul Roos Oval)
Hoërskool Bellville vs Hoërskool Outeniqua (Bellville A)
Stellenberg vs St John’s (Stellenberg A)
Parel Vallei vs Waterkloof (Parel Vallei A)
Brackenfell vs Noord-Kaap (Brackenfell A)
Curro Durbanville vs Marais Viljoen (Curro Durbanville)
Hoërskool Durbanville vs Hans Moore (Duranville)
Somerset College vs Garsfontein (Somerset College A)
HTS Drostdy vs Montana (HTS Drostdy A)
Boland Landbou vs Helpmekaar (Boland Landbou A)
Northcliff vs J.T.G (Paul Roos B)
Diamantveld vs Centurion (Schalk Burger)

14 January 2024 (50 Overs/T20)

Paarl Boys’ High vs St John’s College (Brug A)
Paarl Gimnasium vs Garsfontein (Paarl Gimnasium A)
Paul Roos Gimnasium vs Marais Viljoen (Paul Roos Oval)
Hoërskool Bellville vs Diamantveld (Bellville A)
Stellenberg vs Noordheuwel (Stellenberg A)
Parel Vallei vs Hoërskool Outeniqua (Parel Vallei A)
Brackenfell vs Centurion (Brackenfell A)
Curro Durbanville vs Cornwall Hill College (Curro Durbanville)
Hoërskool Durbanville vs Helpmekaar (Durbanville)
Somerset College vs Westville Boys’ High (Somerset College A)
HTS Drostdy vs Waterkloof (HTS Drostdy A)
Boland Landbou vs Montana (Boland Landbou A)
Noord-Kaap vs Northcliff (Paul Roos B)
Marais Viljoen vs JTG (Schalk Burger)

South African Football Association (SAFA) Technical Director Walter Steenbok, author of “The Football Scouting Bible”, began his visits to Local Football Associations (LFAs) on Monday ahead of the launch of the under-15 Girls Inter-LFA Leagues.

His first stop was SAFA Waterberg (Limpopo) where five regional representatives joined him for the launch.

There, the proceedings were opened by SAFA Technical Committee Chairperson and Provincial President Jack Maluleka, who thanked the regional reps for their attendance.

Frans Mogashoa, the SAFA Technical Director, then detailed the importance of the project, and also presented what was expected of the SAFA regions.

“The league will cater for 400 players and 38 women coaches across the four provinces,” Steenbok said. “We are looking at the next U17 girls’ national team.

“These players are everywhere. Hence, we need to go to the villages and rural locations to afford them the opportunity to be scouted and developed. This is why this league is important.”

Steenbok continued: “The criteria of players that we are looking for are girls born in 2009/2010, but this does not mean you cannot unearth talent that is younger than that age group.

“We will also be looking to unearth young, talented coaches. All these coaches will be encouraged to do CAF D and C licences in April 2024. In the meantime, an online coaching and mentoring programme will be implemented for all these coaches in the league.”

Steenbok said the u15 Inter-LFA League would be played over four months, adding that it was crucial to get girls playing football on a more consistent basis.

“Our suggestion to the regions is to have festivals every month,” he said.

“Each region must host the other regions and allow the girls to play strength versus strength. We want them playing against each other on regular basis, with each team having at least 20 players.

“The idea of this project is to create provincial teams so that we have a database of all the players,” concluded Steenbok.

The quarterfinals of the Gauteng Development League Youth Cup beckon as teams fine-tune their preparations ahead of the weekend’s action.

The most eye-catching fixture is undoubtedly in the u19 division where Kaizer Chiefs will go toe-to-toe with a Highlands Park team that has dominated development football throughout the year in the Gauteng region.

READ: REDEMPTION FOR KAIZER CHIEFS U19’S?

The mouthwatering clash gets underway at 1.30pm SAST on Saturday, 25 November, at the Kaizer Chiefs Village.

“Our approach this coming Saturday won’t change, despite the fact that we always look to improve. We want to dominate possession. We want to be in control of the game and, yes, we want to win the game and play in the semi-finals,” Chiefs’ coach, David Mathebula, told SuperSport Schools in an exclusive interview.

“Highlands Park were the most consistent team, based on results. We played them and lost away and drew at home but, most importantly, in those matches we were able to impose ourselves on them.

“That’s what it is all about when you’re at a bigger brand, such as Chiefs. You have to impose your style of play on the opposition. Yes, the results haven’t gone our way but, in terms of nailing down our style of play, I think we have been very successful.”

Mathebula, a Chiefs’ legend, has come a long way since hanging up his boots in 2018. From assistant coaching duties to Sello Chokoe at  Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM), to a managerial position with Black Aces, Mathebula has been honing his coaching skills for a number of years.

The Kaizer Chiefs’ senior team has chopped and changed coaches in the recent past, and there are opportunities for Mathebula. Perhaps those are not at Chiefs, but there are certainly enough opportunities for young coaches to stake a claim at the country’s top clubs.

Mamelodi Sundowns’ coach, Rulani Mokoena, is a prime example for young coaches as he has led Sundowns to continental success on numerous occasions.

“There’s progress. I have improved a lot in terms of how I approach training, how I manage players, and how I plan for the games. Things are getting better and better,” said Mathebula.

“We want to grow as coaches. Once you start this process, you picture yourself coaching at the highest level. At the development level, it’s all about us learning the game and understanding what coaching is about, but I believe I’m capable and I have the skills to coach at the highest level. That is the ultimate goal.

“I coached a reserve team in Limpopo and the challenges were different in that there were a lot of hiccups outside the field of play. But the job here is quite simple. Everything is run professionally because all I am focussing on here is coming up with the right programmes for the kids and trying to get better results from the players.”

Th effectiveness of Mathebula’s work can be seen in his u19 players who regularly graduate to the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC). Takalani Mazhamba, Ofentse Kgosana, Khulumane Ndamane and Neo Bohloko were all in the starting line-up of coach Vela Khumalo‘s DDC team this past weekend.

“It’s a plus when you see the boys progress to the next level. That’s the main aim, not just progress, but adding value at the next level,” Mathebula concluded.

READ: GDL YOUTH CUP QUARTER-FINALISTS