During the Youth Day Celebrations at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday, 16 June, the Deputy President of South Africa, Paul Mashatile, used the occasion to laud the South African u15 girls’ football team.
The SA u15 girls triumphed over Morocco in a penalty shootout, winning 4-3 from the spot after the game had ended in a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Coach Khumalo had previously guided Edendale Technical High School to victory in the AFCON COSAFA Qualifiers twice, which earned them a spot in the CAF Finals of the Schools Championship. However, they had never previously won the title.
Not only did their triumph over Morocco speaks volumes about the team’s resilience, but it was a breakthrough victory, a milestone achievement, as they became the first South African team to be crowned the champions of the CAF African Schools Championship.
“I would like to commend the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, for promoting the Sports for Youth Development (S4YD) initiative as a serious medium of intervention that promotes the physical and mental health of our youth and reinforces the fact that young people are at the heart of South Africa’s work to promote unity, active citizenry, peace, and development,” Deputy President Mashatile said.
“We must include the young people in discussions that influence their current goals and our future goals.”
GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 17: Olwethu Kosani of the Sharks during the match between Free State and the Sharks on day one of the u16 Grant Khomo Week at Grey High School on June 17, 2024, in Gqeberha, South Africa. Photo: Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images
Monday, 17 June 2024, will be a day that the Boland u16 Grant Khomo side and its coaches will remember for a long time.
The side from the Western Cape caused the first upset of this year’s tournament, stunning the Golden Lions with a memorable 21-16 victory in the second match of the first day on Grey High School‘s Kolisi Field, in Gqeberha.
Their five-point victory was set up by an exciting and dominant first half. Early on, the Bolanders hit their straps, especially their speedsters at the back.
Darren Makeza, the Bolanders’ fleet-footed left wing, broke through early to score the first try of the contest. He, along with the fullback, Anwill Josh, made life difficult for the Gauteng side, keeping them guessing when he joined the attack.
With Boland running rampant, the Lions were continually turned and forced to scramble on defence.
Lock Nieken Lubbe capitalised on this, storming up the field to cross the whitewash for his side’s second try. While Boland looked energetic and enterprising, the Lions appeared flat-footed, and they struggled to create continuity.
They found a way back into the game, however, when their burly outside centre Juandré Ehlers took advantage of some lazy midfield defence to go over for his side’s only try.
Anthony Viljoen kept the side from up north within touching distance with a near-perfect kicking performance, which included slotting three penalties and converting Ehlers’ five-pointer.
In a proper arm wrestle, two tries in the space of five minutes, shortly before the final whistle, saw the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks down Free State.
Leading by 10 points at the break (17-7), the Free Staters kicked off the second half as firm favourites to bag a win, but a determined performance from no. 8 Nhlandhla Ndlovu and the Sharks’ pack swung the momentum in favour of the KwaZulu-Natalians.
Inside centre Olwethu Kosani’s five-pointer proved to be the deciding score as the KZN boys secured a 26-20 victory.
The Free Staters were, mostly, excellent, but they struggled to round off their good work. Flyhalf, O’Ryan Kleyn was fantastic. Not only did he kick well at goal, but he impressed on the attack and his scramble defence was superb, saving his side on numerous occasions.
A man-of-the-match performance by Hoërskool Nelspruit and Pumas’ eighth-man, Vian Louw, helped the side from Mpumalanga capture their first victory of the tournament as they powered their way to a handsome 39-14 win over Griquas. Louw contributed a try and also slotted two conversions to contribute nine points to his team’s total.
Pumas’ outside centre Nhlakanipho Mahlangu was, without a doubt, another contender for the man of the match award. He kept the Griquas midfield busy with his bullocking runs and twice broke through for tries.
Free State XV 29 (5) – Tries: Samson Lackay, Kia Kabu, Johan Dormehl, Keaton Pottas. Conversions: Sean Brown (3). Penalty: Brown. Border Country Districts 7 (7) – Try: Esam Tokwe. Conversion: Indiphinde Ngoma.
This strike, only two minutes into the final, set Nqabalazulu on their way to the Kloof High Football Tournament Cup title.
Nqabakazulu captured the Cup at the Kloof High School Football Tournament on Sunday, beating HTS Louis Botha 3-0 in the final to lift the title in convincing fashion.
Nqabakazulu, who didn’t concede a single goal in their campaign, struck twice within the first five minutes to catch Louis Botha cold. Then, a late strike ensured the victory would go to the side from KwaMashu.
In the playoffs, they accounted for the KZN Inland champions, Carter High, winning 1-0, and they then ousted newcomers’ Virginia in a penalty shootout after the teams had played to a goalless draw.
The team from the northern Free State finished third and were good value for their 3-1 win over Maritzburg College in the third-place playoff. The KZN side struck first with a fantastic counterattacking goal, but they were kept on the back foot throughout the contest.
Virginia stretched Maritzburg College in the Cup’s third place playoff and came away with a 3-1 win.
Virginia impressed with their intensity and tough pressing, and they had the finishing to match their defensive excellence.
Throughout the tournament, they rained in the goals and were comfortably the highest scorers.
At the conclusion of the event, no side had more players included in the team of the tournament than Virginia. Their four included Lebohang Mobe, who was named the Player of the Tournament. He also received the Golden Boot Award after netting 12 times.
Not surprisingly, given that he didn’t give up a goal, Sibusiso Mkhize, of Nqabakazulu, was named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament.
In an enthralling Plate final, Paul Roos, trailing by two goals, scored twice in the last five minutes to force a penalty shootout against Pinetown.
The side from the Boland took it 3-2 from the spot after both ‘keepers pulled off fine saves.
Pinetown’s goalkeeper pulled off this spectacular save in their penalty shootout against Paul Roos, but the Western Cape side’s goalie stopped two Pinetown shots and they won the Shield.
Another team from the Western Cape claimed a title, with Rondebosch Boys’ High edging out Durban High School (DHS) from the spot in the Shield final after regulation time had finished 0-0.
Pietermaritzburg’s Linpark picked up the Spoon, defeating Maqhutshana 2-0 in an entertaining contest.
Props to Kloof High. Running a 32-team tournament is no easy task and they did a fantastic job of it.
TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT
Sello Mokhobo (Virginia), Khotso Maputsoe (Virginia), Mpho Khoarai (Virginia), Lebohang Mobe (Virginia), Tokollo Katleho (HTS Louis Botha), Diego Da Silva (Tuks Sport), Luke Forsyth (Tuks Sport), Sgcino Memela (Pinetown), Mazithi Qasha (Maritzburg College), Breydan Middleton (Maritzburg College), Nicholas Fillis (Paul Roos), Cade Gordon (Paul Roos), Thabiso Madlala (Westville), Kurt Rogers (Westville), Mthuthuko Mnguni (Carter), Andile Vilakazi (Nqabakazulu), Sibusiso Mkhize (Nqabakazulu)
RESULTS
Cup
Quarterfinals
Nqabakazulu 1-0 Carter
Virginia 3-0 Tuks Sport
Louis Botha 1 (6) – 1 (5) Westville
Maritzburg College 2 (3) – 2 (2) Glenwood
Semi-finals
Louis Botha 2 (3) -2 (2) Maritzburg College
Nqabakazulu 0 (5) – 0 (4) Virginia
GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 17: Nhlakanipho Siboniso Mahlangu of the Pumas during the match between Pumas and Griquas on day 1 of the U16 Grant Khomo Week at Grey High School on June 17, 2024 in Gqeberha, South Africa. (Photo by Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images)
Free State XV 29 (5) – Tries: Samson Lackay, Kia Kabu, Johan Dormehl, Keaton Pottas. Conversions: Sean Brown (3). Penalty: Brown. Border Country Districts 7 (7) – Try: Esam Tokwe. Conversion: Indiphinde Ngoma.
Western Province 36 (19) – Tries: Tyron Strauss (4), Christiaan van der Watt, Travis Eberhardt. Conversions: Zachery September (3). Griqualand West 12 (5) – Tries: Luan Coetzee, Joshie Rowan. Conversion: Strauss van Heerden.
Boland 42 (30) – Tries: Caleb Phillipus (2), Tyron Oncke, Elgan de Wet, Henwhill Scholtz, Bjorn Matthews, Giovani van der Berg. Conversions: Chanville Zaal, Scholtz. Penalty: Zaal. Limpopo Blue Bulls 12 (0) – Tries: Ramathope Shai, Matthew de Beer. Conversion: Antoon du Plessis.
Blue Bulls 60 (31) – Tries: Luan MacDonald (5), Rea Mosoeunyane (2), Sebastian Nel, Henrico van Zyl, Tsebo Aphane. Conversions: George Terblanche (4), Justin de Jonge. Eastern Province 7 (0) – Try: Tyrese Wood. Conversion: Sergio Jordaan.
Golden Lions 20 (14) – Tries: Reynardt Knighton, Lorenzo Jardim. Conversions: Menahem van Schoor (2). Penalties: Ariel Meij (2). Valke 10 (5) – Tries: Rametsi Sebake (2).
South Western Districts 15 (0) – Tries: Jameal van Staden, Jordan Fortuin, Stantonio Karelse. Leopards 12 (12) – Tries: Daniël Bester, Dimpho Skoonberg. Conversion: Dandré Allers.
Pumas 50 (43) – Tries: Zuvann Lessing (2), Siphosihle Dlamini (2), Franco Roodt, Poloko Mokoena, Mmabaledi Mashego, Loghan de Beer. Conversions: De Beer (4), Brian Moosa. Border Country Districts 0.
Namibia 29 (15) – Tries: Ruben Kotze (2), Adrian van der Westhuizen (2), Rijk Duvenhage. Conversions: Jacques Bruwer (2). Zimbabwe 12 (5) – Tries: Rasheed Zivhu, Talahole Haufiku. Conversions: Takudzwa Chimbumu.
B TEAMS
Golden Lions B 10 (7) – Tries: Vutshila Shabalala. Conversion: Jean-Luke Parsons. Penalties: Divan Coetzee. Border B 8 (5) – Try: Alwaba Mkabile. Penalty: Ubenathi Kapa.
Western Province B 38 (17) – Tries: Frank van der Walt, Dieter von Finckenstein, Leighton Hendricks, Xolani Gobinca, Zorian Sassman, Carter Weber. Conversions: Jackson (4). Free State B 7 (7) – Try: Romique Smit. Conversion: Bjorn Maree.
South Western Districts B 19 (12) – Tries: Raywin Links (2), Tyler Gelderbloem. Conversions: Jordan Lourens (2). Griffons B 7 (0) – Try: Jan-Pieter Els. Conversion: Kirstein Kruger.
Blue Bulls B 46 (24) – Tries: Stian Roets (2), JW Erasmus, Ryan Bezuidenhout, Gosiame Moatshe, Mbuyelo Ngomana, Ayo Baderin. Conversions: Roets (4). Penalty: Roets. Pumas B 0.
Boland B 36 (19) – Tries: Martiens Labuschagne (2), Indiphile Dlumane, Divan Ellis, Samuel Swanie, Jeno Jacobs. Conversions: Duren Baron (2), Cruden Williams. Valke 5 (0) – Try: Bernard Bezuidenhout.
Sharks B 31 (5) – Tries: Luyana Mgabhi (2), Hasaan Mtshali, Tiaan Labuschagne, Blessing Mndaba. Conversions: Sam van Loenen (2), Taine Lawson. Limpopo Blue Bulls B 7 (7) – Try: Rudo Rheeders. Conversion: Kiano Govender.
Leopards B 19 (12) – Tries: Craig van den Heever, Henku Botha, Ben Steyn. Conversions: Lappies Labuschagne, Steyn. Eastern Province B 15 (5) – Tries: Jaydon Stoman, Ruan Jacobs, Ahlonele Mekuto.
The annual tournament showcasing the best rugby talent South Africa has to offer in the younger age group will kick off on Monday the 17th of June at Grey High School in Qqeberha, and will conclude on Friday the 21st of June.
Last year, the Blue Bulls sneaked in through the back door to claim the title of the unofficial champions of the prestigious tournament. This came after Western Province lost their place in the match against the high-flying Free State due to not adhering to SA Rugby’s regulations.
The Blue Bulls beat the Free State in a humdinger, claiming a hard-fought victory of 20-12, while Western Province was triumphant in the curtain raiser, hanging on to claim a narrow victory of 10-5 against the Golden Lions from Gauteng, and securing a clean sweep, which also included a victory over the victorious Blue Bulls earlier in the week (25-18) to go unbeaten.
2024’s tournament, however, might not provide as much drama of the field as it will on it. As the cream of the crop from the u16 ranks nationwide come together to face off, the three days of action scheduled promises to keep supporters glued to their seats with some mouthwatering champagne rugby.
The defending champions won’t be too relaxed when they kick off their title defence against the Western Province XV side. The WP XV is the union’s second stringers who also get the chance to showcase their talents at the tournament. Runners-up, the Free State, will face the unpredictable KwaZulu-Natal Sharks in their first encounter of the week.
Western Province will take on the hosts Eastern Province, in the main match of day one. This should be an interesting match-up as the side from the Eastern Cape also bulldozed their way to a three-from-three record in 2023. The arm wrestle between the two sides from the South will, without a doubt, be a fitting end to what promises to be an exciting first day in the Windy City.
The fixtures for the first day are:
Kolisi Field:09:20 – Pumas vs Griquas; 10:40 – Golden Lions vs Boland; 12:10 – Free State vs KwaZulu Natal; 13:40 – Blue Bulls vs Western Province XV; 15:30 – Eastern Province vs Western Province.
Pollock Oval:09:20 – Free State XV vs Border CD; 10:40 – Valke vs Griffons; 12:10 – Border vs Zimbabwe; 13:40 – South Western Districts vs Namibia; 15:30 – Limpopo Blue Bulls vs Leopards.
The 2023 champions, Southern Free State opened their SASHOC National Week challenge on a positive note, with a 3-2 victory over the Western Province B team, which they followed with a 3-0 win over Border A.
The local side played their first match at the University of the Free State on Sunday in clear but cold Bloemfontein weather.
It was an interesting game, with Western Province dominating most of it. They were unfortunate, though, to be on the wrong side of the result as they delivered a solid team performance.
On the contrary, last year’s champs failed to fire. However, their defensive wall was tough to penetrate, and accurate finishing saved them from going down to a shock defeat.
While happy to snag the points, their head coach Sulette Kotzee admitted that her side has a thing or two to work on going forward in the tournament.
“It’s important to get the first three points in our starting game of the tournament. It gives us an advantage going forward, but I think we did start slowly. We had patches of good play, but I still think we were missing that fire, energy, and speed.
“We also did not have much preparation. We played only three games together before the tournament, so we were a bit loose. We were not really a unit, but going forward to the next game we will try and be a bit tighter and just jell a bit more,” Kotzee said.
In their clash with Western Province B, Bianca Rees-Gibbs, who topped the scoring charts at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival, with 17 goals, nailed a penalty corner in the 15th minute to give the hosts the lead.
Western Province B, though, was playing the better hockey and Tatum O’Brien responded with a field goal to even the scores. Ten minutes later, though, Southern Free State was back in front thanks to another PC goal from Rees-Gibbs.
Kotzee’s side did well to make use of the opportunities and just a minute after Rees-Gibbs struck the Free Staters moved two goals clear when Nthati Munyai scored a field to make it 3-1.
Western Province B, unbowed, kept working hard were rewarded with a second goal in the 56th minute, with Tamar Hankey getting her name onto the score sheet. It was not quite enough as Free State won by the odd goal. Coach Kotzee said she believed her team’s composure under pressure was one of the keys to their victory.
“It is just about the mindset. We were laid back. We needed to just bring back more energy and more communication and more belief in ourselves, but the ladies worked well under pressure. They stayed calm and collected. They did not panic and that’s what helped us not to concede a third goal,” she said.
Later, in the last match of the day, Southern Free State faced Border at Eunice. It was another scrappy game, but this time they walked away with a clear-cut 3-0 victory.
In the dying minutes of the first chukka, Rees-Gibbs, playing on her school’s Astro, fired in the first goal from a penalty corner. At half-time, it was her strike that separated the teams.
Then, in the second stanza, Reatile Pitso scored twice to seal a victory which gave Southern Free State a maximum points’ haul after day one of the event.
Southern Gauteng A’s Reabitswe Phume taking on two Border A players. Credit: TeamPhotoSA
Hannah Smyth scored three goals across two games to lead the Southern Gauteng u18A girls’ team to the top of Pool A after Sunday’s action at the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein.
KwaZulu-Natal Coastal A are at the summit of Pool B after registering a win in their first match of the tournament.
The interprovincial tournament runs from 16 to 21 June.
Smyth grabbed a brace in Southern Gauteng A’s opener against Border A. The 17-year-old opened the scoring for the Natasha Le Roux-coached outfit in the second chukka, Crucially, that goal helped to settle the nerves of the highveld side, which had looked shaky in the opening quarter.
Emily Weaver followed Smyth’s goal with one of her own 10 minutes later, and it was after that strike that the Hannah Quinton-captained outfit settled in and dictated the pace of the contest.
Smyth completed her brace in the 55th minute. Her strike came between additional field goals from Reabitswe Phume and Amber Fairon, who scored in the 52nd and 59th minute respectively.
“We started slowly but managed to create some opportunities a little bit later in the match. It’s nice to have a win in the first match, but it’s still day one and we have a lot to work on, including good decision making,” Le Roux told SuperSport Schools Plus after the game.
Le Roux’s charges were a changed outfit when they took to the Astro for a second time later in the day. Knowing they couldn’t afford to make mistakes against an in-form Northern Gauteng A side, Southerns didn’t put a foot wrong against their neighbours from across the Jukskei River.
Northern Gauteng A entered the tie confident after a convincing 5-0 win over Western Province A in the first match of the day.
They took their time to get going against the girls from the Cape. However, once they found their groove, they proved to be an unstoppable force.
SinoxoloMbekeni‘s squad had prepared for everything but the weather. They played against the Northerns u16 A boys’ team and the Tuks team before making their way to Bloemfontein. They did not win either match, but they gleaned valuable lessons from their defeats.
Northern Gauteng A’s victory was built on an outstanding hat-trick from Arista Van Zyl, the first of the tournament. Southern Gauteng A, though, demonstrated their defensive strength by keeping the menacing 17-year-old quiet for most of the contest.
Reabitswe Phume found the back of the net in the 13th minute to put Le Roux’s side into the lead. Emily Weaver doubled their advantage in the 36th minute and Smyth capped off a polished performance with a third goal eight minutes from time.
KZN Coastal A recovered from an early slip that left them 0-1 down to claim a 3-1 win over Eastern Province A.
Tiarra Finnis beat Ella Carstens in the Coastal’s goal 15 minutes into the tie and GeowynneGamiet’s charges held onto the lead for 11 minutes while dictating play. They had their tails up and set about finding a second goal.
However, with five minutes to go before halftime, JacintaWedderburn’s girls sprang to life, with Ruby Kraus striking for KwaZulu-Natalians .
“In our half time chat, we spoke of the need for us to execute the small and simple things and the defensive principles that were really lacking to allow that kind of goal to go through. When we returned for the third chukka, we went back to basics, moved through our structures and just got the girls to work a little bit harder,” she explained.
That talk resulted in a more polished performance, which led to goals from their captain Emily Macquet and Georgia Pollock in the 37th and 41st minutes respectively.
While pleased with the victory, Wedderburn used the tie as an opportunity to have a good look at her side. “We came into this match not knowing what to expect. So, now we will go back and go through the video footage and chat about the areas we need to improve on,” she said.
The victory will give her side a boost of confidence ahead of Monday’s schedule, which has them playing twice. They open the day’s proceedings against Northern Free State before locking horns with Boland A in the late afternoon.
RESULTS
Northern Gauteng A 5-0 Western Province A
Southern Gauteng A 5-0 Border A
Western Province B 2-3 Southern Free State A
Eastern Province A 1-3 KZN Coastal
Northern Free State 0-0 Boland
Southern Gauteng B 0-0 KZN Inland
Southern Free State A 3-0 Border A
Southern Gauteng A 3-0 Northern Gauteng A
Day 2 Fixtures
08:30 – KZN Coastal A vs Northern Free State 09:55 – Southern Gauteng B vs Boland A 11:20 – KZN Inland A vs Eastern Province A 12:45 – Western Province A vs Southern Gauteng A 14:10 – Northern Gauteng A vs Southern Free State A 15:35 – Border A vs Western Province B 16:25 – Boland A vs KZN Coastal A 17:00 – Northern Free State vs KZN Inland A
Boland’s Joshua Smit in action for his side on the opening day of the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein. Photo: TeamPhotoSA
The highly anticipated u18 SASHOC National Week got off to a frenzied start on Sunday at the University of the Free State. For some, there was a positive start, but for others, another quick visit to the drawing board might be necessary ahead of a jam-packed week.
Boland, Western Province A, and Northern Gauteng were the big winners on Sunday, with each collecting three points from their opening matches.
After missing out on a medal position in last year’s event (they finished fourth), Boland kicked matters off in the tournament’s first match against a strong Border side.
Both sides started slowly, with very little action in the first chukka. However, Boland attacked with precision in the second quarter and were duly rewarded when the dangerous Juan Swanepoel netted twice in quick succession to give his side a 2-0 lead.
Coach Jacques Grobler’s side wasn’t done, and with their opponents showing cracks in their defence, they made it 3-0 through a Reuben Sendzul drag flick from a penalty corner to head into halftime with a healthy advantage.
There was no change to the score in the third chukka, but Sendzul claimed his brace in the fourth to seal a hard-fought 4-0 win for his team.
“It’s a positive start. We didn’t concede any short corners and shots at goal, so I’m happy,” coach Grobler told SuperSport Schools Plus after the encounter.
“From a defensive point of view, it was great. We created a lot of opportunities and scored some excellent goals. We missed a couple, but I’d rather have us getting into positions where we can score, rather than not scoring at all.”
Day two sees Boland facing Western Province B, before a doubleheader on Tuesday, when they’ll take on their neighbours, Western Province A, and Southern Gauteng B.
Western Province’s Reece Theunis goes for goal in his side’s opening match of the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein. Photo: TeamPhotoSA
Speaking of Western Province A, the defending champions were made to work hard for their win on Sunday.
Tagged as “favourites” by many, the team from Cape Town found the going hard in the early stages of their game against a resilient and motivated Southern Gauteng B side.
For the first quarter-of-an-hour, the sides were level-pegging. In the second chukka, though, Province broke the deadlock courtesy of a Litha Kraai goal from a PC. That goal, in addition to Cohen Williams’s brilliant tap-in from a counterattack momentarily gave the defending champs some breathing space.
Southerns B, however, playing with spirit and grit, and with their supporters in full voice in the stands, pulled a goal back early in the third chukka, courtesy of Tsoanelo Seutlouli.
They also remained solid at the back, with Khanyisa Kraai, Simon Benjamin, and skipper Murray Halstead-Cleak leading the way in preventing Province from adding to their tally.
Eventually, though, Province found a way through, with Dayle Gertson firing a drag flick into the back of the net to seal a 3-1 win for coach Bryce West‘s side.
“The first game of the tournament, especially playing against a Southerns side, is always going to be difficult,” West told SuperSport Schools Plus after the match.
“We were decent, but we still have a lot to work on. In tournament hockey, it’s just important to get three points on the board, and that’s what we got today, and the first box ticked.”
Identifying areas in which he would like to see improvement, West said: “We want to play longer phases together. I think today our phases were good, but too small.
“The in-betweens are where we struggled a lot, getting used to the turf – it is a bit heavy, so the players have to be better, get more on the ball. Our structures were good, and more energy is needed.”
Northern Gauteng were among the winners, recording a 2-1 win over KZN Inland A on the opening day of the SASHOC National Week. Photo: TeamPhotoSA
Ahead of the SASHOC National Week, Northern Gauteng, coached by Kagiso Mathaba, announced their intention of causing some upsets. In their opening match of last year’s campaign, they took on Western Province A and were unfortunate to lose 2-3.
They didn’t allow history to repeat itself, recording an impressive come-from-behind 2-1 win over a strong KZN Inland A side.
After a goalless first half, the boys from KZN opened the scoring through a well-worked PC goal from Tino Hove.
The Inlanders continued to pose threats, but the Northerns defensive line stood firm.
They were, though, still behind as the fourth chukka loomed. However, a short corner strike from captain Zach Richardson, with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter, levelled matters.
In the final chukka, with just over five minutes to play, Luken Brunette also scored from a penalty corner to hand his side the lead. Northerns then held on for the win.
“It was a bit of a tough start in the first half, having to come back from a goal down. But the boys showed character, which is something we’re trying to improve on from last year,” Mathaba said afterwards.
“We’ll take the win. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how you play. You just have to get the result.”
Mathaba said he hoped to see the excellent execution and composure Northerns showed in their set pieces continuing throughout the week.
“Yes, goals are the final product, but, for us, it’s important we execute corners, injections and get the ball on target because all of those get us an opportunity to score,” he explained.
“I think out of the three short corners, we scored twice, and that shows that getting shots on target helps a lot.
“I must say, though, we are taking it one game at a time. You look at our pool, it’s all A sides. There are no easy games. The tournament isn’t done.”
There were also a number of draws on the opening day, with Western Province B and KZN Coastal B finishing goalless, while Province B also drew 1-1 with Border.
Last year’s runners-up, Southern Gauteng A, shared a 2-2 draw with Eastern Province.
Southerns were forced to come from behind twice. EP netted first through Ben Ristow, but the Gauteng side replied through a PC strike from Fynn Campbell.
EP’s skipper Kian Cambier then produced a moment of brilliance to put his side back into the lead. Zeyad Davids replied with a field goal for Southerns, resulting in the match ending in a stalemate.
Southern Free State A held KZN Coastal A to a 1-1 draw, scoring in the last five minutes to snatch a share of the spoils. The hosts will go in search of their first win on Monday when they open the day’s proceedings with a clash against Southern Gauteng A at 08:45.
Day 1| Results and scorers
Pool A
Boland A 4 (2): Juan Swanepoel (2), Reuben Sendzul (2). Border A: 0.
Western Province B: 0. KZN Coastal B: 0.
Western Province A 3 (2): Litha Kraai, Cohen Williams, Dayle Gertson. Southern Gauteng B 1 (0): Tsoanelo Seutlouli.
Western Province B 1 (1): Ethan Daniels. Border A 1(1): Helio Ruiters.
Pool B
Northern Gauteng A 2 (0): Zac Richardson, Luken Brunette. KZN Inland A 1 (0): Tino Hove.
Eastern Province A 2 (1): Ben Ristow, Kian Cambier. Southern Gauteng A 2 (0): Fynn Campbell, Zeyad Davids.
Southern Free State A 1 (0): Nkhahle Sematlane. KZN Coastal A 1 (1): Josh Beck.
Day 2| Fixtures
Pool A
13:00 – Boland A vs Western Province B
14:25 – Border A vs Western Province A
15:50 – KZN Coastal B vs Southern Gauteng B
Pool B
08:45 -Southern Free State A vs Southern Gauteng A
10:10 – Northern Gauteng A vs Eastern Province A
11:35 – KZN Coastal A vs KZN Inland A
15:35- Southern Gauteng A vs Northern Gauteng A
17:15 – Eastern Province A vs KZN Coastal A
Saturday, the second day of the Kloof High School Football Tournament, brought with it increased intensity as the competition headed into its knockout stages.
Some top teams were eliminated, which served to underline just how tough the competition was, while others grabbed their opportunities and sparkled in must-win contests.
Carter High School, top in Group A, went head-to-head with Northwood School in their final game. It ended in a 1-1 draw, with both teams stubbornly resisting the other’s challenge.
Moving on to the knockout stage, Carter, the KZN Inland champions, triumphed 2-0 over Nilgiri to secure a spot in the next round of the competition.
Northwood, however, were ousted by HTS Louis Botha. The Bloemfontein school was the dominant force in Group E, winning all of their matches while establishing a significant goal difference, which underlined their championship credentials.
In a thrilling match, Vuyiswa Mtolo faced off against Nqabakazulu. They kept everyone on the edge of their seats with a fantastic clash.
Both had impressed in the group stages, but neither could break through in their knockout showdown. It finished 0-0 and, thus, went to a penalty shootout, where Nqabakazulu claimed victory by a 3-1 margin from the spot.
Speaking of impressive teams, Virginia asserted their dominance by topping the goal scoring charts. They completed their pool games by crushing Ferrum 8-0 to set up a meeting with Tuks Sport, who sneaked past Pinetown, winning 6-5 from the penalty spot after the sides had finished regulation time deadlocked at 0-0.
Paul Roos, a strong contender, exited after a 1-2 loss to Westville. Meanwhile, Glenwood triumphed 4-1 over Toti, and Maritzburg College beat the hosts, Kloof High School 3-0.
Results
Group A
Northwood 1-1 Carter
Group B
Vuyiswa Mtolo 2-1 New Forest
Group C
Virginia 6-0 Kloof
Group D
Tuks Sport 1-0 DHS
Group E
Hillcrest 6-1 Thomas More College
HTS Louis Botha 1-0 Nilgiri
Group F
Westville 4-2 Alexandra
Nqabakazulu 5-0 George Campbell (Forfeit)
Group G
Ashton 5-0 Richem (forfeit)
Maritzburg College 3-0 Ferrum
Group H
Pinetown 6-0 Linpark
Glenwood 4-3 Rondebosch
Knockout Stages
Carter 2-0 Nilgiri
Nqabakazulu 0 (3) – 0 (1) Vuyiswa Mtolo
Maritzburg College 3-0 Ferrum
Louis Botha 2-1 Northwood
Westville 2-1 Paul Roos
Tuks Sport 0 (6)- O (5) Pinetown
Virginia 8-0 Ferrum
Glenwood 4-1 Toti
Quarterfinal Fixtures
07:30 – Louis Botha vs Westville: Main Field
07:30 – Maritzburg College vs Glenwood: Top A
08:30 – Carter vs Nqabakazulu: Main Field
08:30 – Virginia vs Tuks Sport: Top A
During the Youth Day Celebrations at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday, 16 June, the Deputy President of South Africa, Paul Mashatile, used the occasion to laud the South African u15 girls’ football team.
Saturday, the second day of the Kloof High School Football Tournament, brought with it increased intensity as the competition headed into its knockout stages.