Blog

Hoërskool Garsfontein mik om vir ‘n derde opeenvolgende keer die baas van die Jakarandastad te wees wanneer hulle Saterdag vir die Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool, in straks Pretoria se grootste skolewedstryd, pak.

Volg al die aksie regstreeks op SuperSport Schools. Skakel na die wedstryd.

Die Bere was die vorige twee seisoene baas met oorwinnings van 20-19 (2022) en 45-38 (2023), met laasgenoemde sege boonop op Affies se tuisveld.

Die Bere het egter ook ‘n punt om te bewys nadat hulle twee nederlae in twee wedstryde op vanjaar se Noord/Suid-toernooi in die gesig moes staar.

Dit is veral die 36-38 nederlaag, in die doodsnikke teen Hoër Jongenskool Paarl, wat as genoegsame motivering vir die Garsies behoort te dien.

Affies het ook effens wankelrig gelyk inhul 25-30 nederlaag teen Paul Roos Gimnasium. Wat die positiewe betref, het sowel Garsies as Affies tot dusver uiters indrukwekkend vertoon in die skrums.

Affies se voorry het hul stempel deeglik afgedruk teen die span van Stellenbosch, en Ruan Smuts (vaskopstut), Ethan van Dyk (haker) en Werner Vrey (loskopstut) het ‘n groot verantwoordelikheid  op hul skouers indien die Wit Bulle hoop om ‘n derde agtereenvolgende nederlaag teen die Bere die hoof te bied. Dit sal allermins egter ‘n maklike taak wees, met die Bere se skrum wat Boishaai ook op die agtervoet gedruk het.

Die ander opwindende stryd tussen die die twee pakke wag in die lynstane. In tipies Pretoriaanse styl beskik albei oor kragtige rolmaalbewegings, wat naby die doellyn uiters moeilik is om te stuit.

Agterlangs wag ‘n tweestryd tussen die twee spanne se losskakels.

Derrick Kuhn, die Bere se generaal, beskik oor ‘n geoefende skopskoen, en behoort Affies se agterste driehoek deurgaans te toets, terwyl sy visie en vermoë om die spasie raak te sien ook die besoekers se middelveld op hul tone sal hou. Dit sal die Bere se voorste driedrukker van 2023, Ruan Enslin, die kans gee om die spasie agterlangs uit te buit.

In teenstelling sal Affies se spelskepper, Ruben Pienaar, nie skroom om die Bere-verdediging aan te vat nie, en met die SA Skole-binnesenter, Janco Purchase, aan sy buitekant, kan dit gevaar voorspel vir die opposisie.

Purchase beleef tot dusver ‘n stadige begin tot die seisoen, maar die naweek se groot stryd teen die Bere kan dalk net die nodige inspuiting bied om hom na hoogste versnelling te laat oorskakel.

Die spanne:

Garsfontein t. Affies op Berepark in Pretoria om 13:10:

Hoërskool Garsfontein (moontlik): 15 Ruan Enslin, 14 Eben Koekemoer, 13 Junade Pasenensie, 12 Luann Olivier, 11 Junaide Swart, 10 Derrick Kuhn, 9 Brooklyn Newman, 8 Aiden King, 7 Thinus Oosthhuizen, 6 Stephan Pretorius, 5 Jacques Swart, 4 James Schnetler, 3 Luan van der Berg, 2 Justin Blom, 1 Ethan van Wyk.

Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool: 15 Ruben Groenewald, 14 Rikus Strydom, 13 Nicolaas Grobler, 12 Janco Purchase, 11 Roux Eagan, 10 Ruben Pienaar, 9 Hendré Schoeman, 8 Robin Lippold, 7 Albert Smit, 6 Luan Potgieter, 5 JD Hattingh, 4 Muntingh Hamman, 3 Ruan Smuts, 2 Ethan van Dyk, 1 Werner Very.

The highlight of this weekend’s schoolboys’ hockey fixtures in KwaZulu-Natal will be a showdown between Durban High School (DHS) and Westville Boys’ High School. A good crowd is expected at The Coliseum, the DHS floodlit astroturf, at 18:30 on Friday evening.

Cam Mackay, the experienced and astute Westville coach is looking forward to Friday night’s classic clash: “Our Coastal Cup Festival went well; we had good results across the board and certainly feel ready to take on the season,” he said.

Catch all the hockey action live on SuperSport Schools.

“DHS will be a really tough game, especially at DHS. They are a great team this year and they have so many game-changers that can influence the game.

“We are definitely up for the challenge and will go in as underdogs which, I think, is a good tag for the boys. Hopefully the game lives up to the hype.”

Keegan Hezlett, the new DHS first team coach, has enjoyed a good start to the season. His side was unbeaten at the Coastal Cup, and they also recorded a hard-fought 1-0 win over a very good Kearsney College side, at Kearsney, at the end of the first term, which few teams manage.

Hezlett feels his team is well prepared and he is expecting a wonderful game between two talented, well structured, and skilful teams.

Kyle Emerson, the wise Maritzburg College first team coach, is full of praise for his young squad, which has grown in confidence and cohesion. At the recent Nomads and KES Festivals, his charges started to assert themselves. However, he has lamented a few unfortunate injuries which have affected the selection of his team for their game against Glenwood.

Nonetheless, he is confident his team’s good ball retention, well-structured and high pressing game, will reap rewards against the Durban school.

Ipeleng Mosupye, the courageous College captain, received his 50th cap at the KES Festival. Coach Emerson was complimentary about Mosupye’s leadership and that of the other experienced leaders in the team, who have shown their versatility in playing different positions, and who have also helped College’s younger players adjust to first team hockey.

Glenwood’s coaches, Braydon Naidoo and Michael Labuschagne, are quietly confident going into the fixture, after a successful time at the Saints Sports Festival.

“I am excited for the fixture and look forward to a really good afternoon of some quality hockey,” Naidoo said.

The home side’s coaches will, no doubt, be urging their Glenwood first team to be bold and courageous on their home turf.

If they can start well and defend collectively, maintain good discipline and communication when they don’t have the ball, Glenwood could then use their explosive counter attacks to put College under pressure.

If the visitors score early, they could face an uphill battle against a College team that has shown that stringing together five or six passes in a phase will bring them opportunities to score and dominate.

TEAMS

DHS

1 Dilan Ebrahim, 2 Bhavesh Naicker, 3 Ruben Peters, 4 Lethabo Bogacwi, 5 Mahlatse Sebake, 6 Sithsaba Siyoyo, 7 Lumi Matwele, 8 Nathi Jona, 9 Tyrique Cloete, 10 Josh Mungherera, 11 Lethabo Matobela

Semal Pillay, Sihle Sogoni, Lubanzi Zulu, Josh van Biljon, Christopher Abrahams

Westville

1 Ameron Moses, 2 Max Robertson, 3 Kaeden McAllister, 4 Nicolas Ackerman, 5 Owen Slack, 6 Curt Rogers, 7 Josh Beck, 8 Sibusiso Cele, 11 Seth Simpson, 13 Thabo Dlamini, 14 Roxton Payne

20 Bryce Powell-Rees, 12 Misbah Nair, 18 Tyhil Naidoo, 9 Heath Stott, 19 Bo Mokoena

Maritzburg College

1 Nick Holmes, 2 Ethan Fabre, 3 Awanda Mthalane, 4 Siwa Sithembu, 5 Rory Schirge, 6 Ipeleng Mosupye, 7 Julian Konigkramer, 8 Kadin Jenkins, 9 Greg Askew, 10 Banele Dlamini, 11 Ethan Maynard, 12 Matthew Smith, 13 Tai Fulton, 14 Noah Jackson, 15 Brett Hosking, 16 Andile Lembethe

Glenwood

1 Caleb Hendrikse, 2 Braigen Yunnie, 3 Sibani Mtolo, 4 Qhama Dyakopou, 5 Siya Malatjie (c), 6 Mlondi Nyawose, 7 Ntando Soni, 8 Krian Jugoo, 9 Sibonelo Phewa, 10 Ryder Chislett, 11 Jared Gallagher, 12 Murray Wicks, 13 Ezile Makhatini, 14 Kaden Henderson, 15 Xaydon Kariko

The annual St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival is without a doubt one of the highlights on the girls’ school hockey calendar.

Catch all the action live on SuperSport Schools (www.supersportschools.com).

Results | Day 2

[ninja_tables id=”40308″]

Vier gedugte spanne is slaggereed vir nog ‘n opwindende ronde wedstryde hierdie naweek in die Wesgrow Sentrale-sportreeks.

Hoërskool Trio en Voortrekker Hoërskool, sowel as Hoërskool Fichardtpark en Hoërskool Jim Fouché, se eerste netbalspanne sê mekaar almal die styd aan.

Trio en Voortrekker ontmoet mekaar Saterdag om 11:40 in Kroonstad, terwyl Fichardtpark en Jim Fouché mekaar om 11:40 op Fichies se bane pak.

JF en die Trekkers spog albei sover met onoorwonne rekords in die Wesgrow-reeks.

Die naweek se spanne:

Hoërskool Trio: Nicole Myburg, Anine Prinsloo, Nika Terblanche, Eby Lee van Wyk, Kyla Claassen, Berdine van Schalkwyk, Relebogile Mokotso, Hilde Mari de Vries.

Voortrekker Hoërskool: Chloe Opperman, Elizbe Heyns, Jazelle Muller, Leane van den Berg, Jasmine Liebenberg, Thato Mohloki, Marile Jonck, Anja van Zyl, Celri Botha, Mianca van Niekerk.

Hoërskool Fichardtpark: Joanize Herbst, Lana Ronne, Inge Jacobs, Giselle Shehab, Anja Fourie, Rochelle Matthee, Gilden Valentine, Maroné Coetzee, Leilani Gertenbach, Meruscke Mostert.

Hoërskool Jim Fouché: Lesedi Sebiloane, Elri Pieters, Zandria Bastone, Lindsey Neveling, Jenilee Kotzé, Ansuné Humphries, Dimpho Totola, Jana Rossouw, Roechelle van der Merwe.

 

 

Nóg ‘n naweek van opwindende netbal-aksie lê voor in hierdie naweek se NWU Skolesportreeks.

Hoërskool Waterkloof en Hoërskool Transvalia kom eerste aan die beurt om 10:10 by Klofies, met Hoërskool Oos-Moot wat in ‘n stryd van vaardigheid en strategie met Hoërskool Middelburg gewikkel sal raak, ook om 10:10.

Om 10:40 pak HTS Middelburg en Hoërskool EG Jansen mekaar in Middelburg, terwyl die naweek se aksie tot ‘n einde kom met ‘n kragmeting tussen Hoërskole Nelspruit en Eldoraigne, om 13:20 in Nelspruit.

Indien jy nie self daar kan wees om al die aksie te beleef nie, skakel gerus in op Supersport Schools (DStv-kanaal 216) om regstreeks na al die wedstryde te kyk.

 

Dit is weer tyd vir die NWU Prestige-reeks, met 10 spanne wat by verskeie sportgronde bymekaarkom om die naweek se wenners te bepaal.

Hoërskool Noordheuwel skop die naweek se verrigtinge af teen Hoërskool Klerksdorp, om 10:00 by Noordheuwel.

Hoërskool Hugenote (Springs) speel tuis teen Hoër Volkskool Heidelberg om 10:45, terwyl Hoërskool Wesvalia ook tuis teen Hoërskool Oosterlig te staan kom om 11:10, en, in dieselfde tydgleuf, sê Hoërskool Montana vir Hoërskool Rustenburg die stryd aan by Montana.

Die dag sluit om 15:30 af met ‘n kragmeting tussen Hoërskool Marais Viljoen en Hoërskool Zwartkop, wat die kroon behoort te span op ‘n uiters opwindende naweek van netbal-aksie.

A clash between Jeppe and St Stithians College will headline the hockey action in Gauteng this weekend when the sides battle for supremacy on the Boden Astroturf on Friday night.

They’re familiar foes, having first started competing against one other in 1969.

Both enter the big clash after lukewarm starts to their season and there’s no clear-cut favourite, with little to separate the teams in recent matches.

They have played against each other twice in the past two years, with both meetings coming in the Southern Gauteng u18 Hockey Tournament, more commonly called the Aitken Cup.

Catch all the hockey action live on SuperSport Schools

In 2022, Jeppe reigned victorious, claiming a 2-1 victory to retain the title. Last year, Saints pulled off a penalty shootout win to win the Cup after the match had ended deadlock at 2-2.

However, a lot has changed since then in the playing and coaching ranks, including Jeppe now being coached by former Dale College pupil, Siya Sityana, who has taken over the reins from Gilbert de Villiers. 

Under coach Sityana, Jeppe has taken part in two festivals, Nomads and King Edward VII.

At Nomads, they got off to a slow start, losing by small margins against Hilton College (0-2), Grey College (0-1), and Selborne College (0-1), three of the top teams in the festival.

They did, however, end the event on a high, claiming victories over Wynberg Boys’ High (4-3) and the hosts, Maritzburg College (1-0).

At the KES Easter Festival, Sityana’s troops continued building momentum and picked up wins over Waterkloof (4-1), Eldoraigne (2-0), and St Charles College (2-0). They also went down to Kearsney College and Rondebosch Boys’ High, but they will be high in confidence playing on their home turf.

Saints, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back after a rather disappointing time at their Easter Hockey Festival last weekend, albeit against high-class opposition.

The side claimed only one win, defeating Clifton College (3-1). They were beaten by Hilton College (1-2), and Pretoria Boys High (1-3) and played to a 2-2 draw against St Andrew’s College.

The Jeppe vs St Stithians clash starts at 19:00.

Other games on Friday will see Pretoria Boys High battling St Alban’s College. Hoërskool Waterkloof and Zwartkop are also in action against Transvalia and Marais Viljoen respectively.

On Saturday, Garsfontein welcomes Affies to their home ground, while Beaulieu College and St Peter’s College meet.

King Edward VII takes on St John’s College, while Parktown Boys High travels to Northcliff High, and St Benedict’s College locks horns with St David’s Marist Inanda.

Fixtures

Friday, 5 April

16:00 – Zwartkop vs Marais Viljoen
19:00 – Jeppe Boys High vs St Stithians College
19:00 – Pretoria Boys High vs St Alban’s College
19:15 – Hoërskool Waterkloof vs Transvalia

Saturday, 6 April

09:30 – Garsfontein vs Affies
09:50 –Northcliff High vs Parktown Boys’ High
10:30 – King Edward VII vs St John’s College
10:45 – St Benedict’s vs St David’s Marist Inanda
TBC: St Peters vs Beaulieu College

Paarl Gimnasium was one of the two teams that remained unbeaten in Pool D at the end of the first day of action at the St Mary’s Hockey Festival in Johannesburg on Thursday.

The Tanya Pieterse-captained outfit enjoyed a good start to their St Mary’s Festival campaign with a victory against the St Mary’s Festival XI, whom they brushed aside 3-0. The Festival XI was an unfamiliar foe and coach Ian Naude’s team had to think on their feet and adapt to the challenge, which they did well.

Their second match, against St Cyprian’s, was against opposition they knew well, and they planned accordingly. “We have played them before, a team from Cape Town, so we kind of knew what to expect. They are very attacking, and we sat back and sucked them in and went on the counterattack,” said Naude.

The plan worked a treat and Paarl Gim finished the match with a 2-0 win.

Naude and his team prepared well for the festival. They participated in two pre-tournament events which had a similar format to the St Mary’s Festival. However, it wasn’t smooth sailing for the Paarl team, with their preparations being hampered by injuries to key players, including Pieterse, who represented the SA u17 team at the Dato Mirnawan Cup in Malaysia late last year.

Paarl Gim’s ability to pull together as a team and be clinical with their passes belied the difficulties they had faced in the lead-up to the festival. Pieterse returned from injury and despite missing out on the pre-festival events, she marshalled the midfield with admirable aplomb. Their only weakness was in converting the chances they created. “Against St Cyprians, we created 10 chances and converted only a two. We need to do better in that part of our game,” Naude reckoned.

In their last game of the day, they needed to convert only one chance to claim victory over St Stithians, and that is what they did.

St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, was the other unbeaten team in Pool D. However, unlike Paarl Gim, their record wasn’t all wins. They drew 0-0 against Lance Louw‘s St Stithians. But that was preceded by a 4-0 success against St Cyprian’s in which St Mary’s showed off an attacking brand of hockey.

The team from Kloof has yet to concede a goal in the festival, so far, and that is because of their solid defensive structure. That excellent defending helped them maintain clean sheets against St Stithians and Our Lady Fatima, whom they played later in the day, winning 1-0.

“Our biggest flaw is that sometimes we dip in standards. I hope the girls play to their potential the whole tournament,” coach Carla Ann Mackay said.

It is a handicap that Mackay hopes her charges will overcome as the festival progresses. Last year, St Mary’s finished 13th and won the Plate section. Mackay and her girls are aiming higher than that.

Day two of Pool D action will kick off with a tie between Collegiate and St Cyprian’s. Fourth-placed Collegiate will be keen to improve on their one win, one draw, and one loss record from day one, while St Cyprian’s will want to improve their goal difference and add a second win of the festival.

Pool D Results

Collegiate 0-1 Fatima, Paarl Gim 3-0 St Mary’s Festival XI, St Stithians 1-0 Pearson, St Mary’s, Kloof, 4-0 St Cyprian’s, Collegiate 1-0 St Mary’s Festival XI, Fatima 0-1 Pearson, Paarl Gim 2-0 St Cyprian’s, St Stithians 0-0 St Mary’s, Kloof, Collegiate 0-0 Pearson, St Mary’s Festival XI 0-2 St Cyprian’s, Fatima 0-1 St Mary’s, Kloof, Pearson 2-0 St Mary’s Festival XI, Paarl Gim 1-0 St Stithians.

The tournament hosts, St Mary’s Waverley, recorded two victories and two defeats on Thursday, the first day of the 2024 St Mary’s Hockey Festival.

The festival welcomes many of South Africa’s best hockey-playing schools, and some from beyond the borders of the country, to Johannesburg. It runs through until Sunday.

In their first outing in Pool B, St Mary’s Waverley took on their namesakes, St Mary’s DSG, from Pretoria, and ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.

They were, however, beaten in their second game against St Anne’s Diocesan College, who had been one of the in-form teams in the lead-up to the festival. St Mary’s bounced back in their third outing to claim a narrow 1-0 victory over Windhoek High School.

In their fourth match of the day, the home team was beaten again, going down 0-2 to The Wykeham Collegiate.

Both sides started the game patiently and exhibited strong defences, but it was Wykeham Collegiate’s success in denying space to the six-time champions which won them the game.

St Mary’s created some opportunities, including a penalty corner, but failed to make them count. Then, 13 minutes before the end of the contest, Wykeham caught St Mary’s off guard with a brilliant goal by Amy Macaskill. With four minutes to play, they doubled their lead.

Durban Girls’ College, meanwhile, bagged a nail-biting 2-1 win over St Anne’s before crushing St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) 9-0 in the last match of the day.

Pool C’s clashes proved to be very tight, with a number of them ending goalless, which served to underline just how tough the competition is.

Hoërskool Garsfontein held Somerset College to a 0-0 draw, while that was also the score in the games between Rhenish and Hoërskool Waterkloof, and St John’s DSG and St Andrew’s. Rhenish also shared the spoils against Garsfontein, although it ended 1-1 in that match.

The seven-time winners, Oranje, enjoyed a successful opening day. They begin it on a high note, outplaying Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School 5-0. Their second game was much tougher, but they came away with a 1-0 victory over Somerset College, and they followed that up with a 2-0 victory against Waterkloof.

After a tough start, which included a goalless draw against St Andrew’s and a 0-4 defeat against Rhenish, St John’s DSG beat their neighbours, Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High 2-0.

Action at the St Mary’s Hockey Festival continues on Friday with a Pool B showdown between Windhoek High School and Hoërskool Menlopark in Pool B, while Somerset College face Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High in Pool C.

RESULTS

Thursday, 04 April

Pool B: St Mary’s Waverley 1st 3-0 St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) ; Durban Girls’ College 2-1 St Anne’s; Paarl Girls’ High 2-0 Windhoek HS; Hoërskool Menlopark 2-1 The Wykeham Collegiate; St Mary’s Waverley 1st 0-1 St Anne’s; St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) 0-2 Windhoek HS; Durban Girls’ College 2-0 The Wykeham Collegiate; Paarl Girls’ High 0-1 Hoërskool Menlopark; St Mary’s Waverley 1st XI 1-0 Windhoek HS; St Anne’s 3-0 The Wykeham Collegiate; St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) 0-2 Hoërskool Menlopark; Durban Girls’ College 2-2 Paarl Girls’ High; St Mary’s Waverley 1st 0-2 The Wykeham Collegiate; St Anne’s 1-0 Paarl Girls’ High; St Mary’s DSG (Pretoria) 0-9 Durban Girls’ College

Pool C: HS Garsfontein 0-0 Somerset College; Oranje 5-0 Pietermaritzburg GHS; Rhenish 0-0 HS Waterkloof; St John’s DSG 0-0 St Andrew’s; Oranje 1-0 Somerset College; Pietermaritzburg GHS 1-2 HS Waterkloof; HS Garsfontein 5-0 St Andrew’s; Rhenish 4-0 St John’s DSG; Oranje 2-0 HS Waterkloof; Somerset College 0-1 St Andrew’s; Pietermaritzburg GHS 0-2 St John’s DSG; Garsfontein 1-1 Rhenish

POOLS

Pool A: Eunice High School; Herschel Girls’ High; Clarendon High School; Pretoria High School for Girls; Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof; Roedean School (SA); Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool, Pretoria; DF Malan

Pool B: St Mary’s Waverley 1st XI; Durban Girls’ College; Paarl Girls’ High School; Die Hoërskool Menlopark; The Wykeham Collegiate; Windhoek High School; St Anne’s Diocesan College; St Mary’s DSG, Pretoria

Pool C: C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje; Hoërskool Garsfontein; Rhenish Girls’ High School; St John’s DSG; St Andrew’s School for Girls; Hoërskool Waterkloof; Somerset College; Pietermaritzburg Girls High School

Pool D: Collegiate Girls’ High School; Paarl Gimnasium; St Stithians Girls’ College; St Mary’s DSG, Kloof; St Cyprian’s School; Pearson High School; St Mary’s Waverley Festival XI; Our Lady of Fatima DCS

Eunice and Bloemhof were in brilliant form on day one of the annual St Mary’s Hockey Festival. The two sides were unbeaten and are tied at the top of Pool A and are only separated by goal difference after Thursday’s action in Johannesburg.

The 32-team hockey extravaganza is in its 24^th year, after taking off with a mere 12 teams in 2000.

Spectators were treated to a thriller befitting a final when Eunice and Bloemhof faced off on the Nathan Field in the last Pool A match of the day.

Heading into the match, coach Jenny King‘s girls had pulled off three convincing victories against Pretoria High School for Girls, Herschel, and Afrikaanse Höer Meisieskool (Affies), scoring nine goals without reply in those wins.

Bloemhof’s performances belied the short preseason King had with her team, “Being an athletic school, they had a shorter preseason, and we had to try to get the basics in place in a short period,” she said.

Coach Nika Coertzen, on the other hand, has an inexperienced side on her hands. Eunice lost many players from their successful 2023 team that won the St Mary’s Festival and finished the year ranked number one in the country. This season, her team is made up of three grade 12s, three grade 9s, and five grade 10s. Half of those players are u16.

They had endured a few tough outings before the St Mary’s Festival. “Our first festival was difficult, but I understood that the girls needed time to adjust. There is a huge difference between u14 and u18 hockey. We’ve had 12 pre-season games, which I think gave them confidence that they can compete,” said Coertzen.

That confidence showed in how they dealt with high-pressure moments throughout the day. Eunice scored nine goals against DF Malan, Affies, and Roedean and conceded only one to DF Malan.

In their match against a Bloemhof side in red-hot form, Eunice held their own, defending and attacking in equal measure. The blockbuster tie ended in a 0-0 draw.

“This tournament is about growth. It’s not about coming and winning. Of course, winning is great, but we want to try to use these 12 games to prepare for the rest of the season,” King explained while refusing to get carried away by her team’s strong showing on the first day.

Coertzen also had her feet firmly on the ground, preferring to see the bigger picture instead of celebrating too early. “My girls have a lot of ambition, determination and discipline, which makes things a little easier for a coach. Right now, we are in the building phase as a unit, but I’m excited about the next three years and what we will produce,” she reckoned.

Third-placed Clarendon also enjoyed a good showing on Thursday. Coach Luwan Sedras’ charges started the day with a 1-0 win over Roedean, which helped settle their nerves. They followed that victory with another 1-0 win, this time over Pretoria High School for Girls. Later in the day, they came up short against Herschel, going down 0-1.

While impressed by his players’ performances on day one, Sedras thinks his team has a bit of a distance to go before they are settled as a unit, especially since Clarendon lost all but one of their strikers from last year’s side.

His main focus, with the rest of his coaching unit, has been in converting midfielders into strikers. “Scoring wins you games. We can defend, we can control midfield, but we need to score goals. So, that has been our focus this year,” he said.

Sedras hopes that his charges will find the back of the net more in their next few games, particularly against the in-form duo of Eunice and Bloemhof, whom they meet on day two.

Pool A Results

Eunice 3-1 DF Malan, Clarendon 1-0 Roedean, PHSG 0-5 Bloemhof, Eunice 2-0 Affies, DF Malan 0-0 Roedean, Herschel 0-3 Bloemhof, Clarendon 1-0 PHSG, Eunice 4-0 Roedean, Affies 0-1 Bloemhof, DF Malan 2-0 PHSG, Herschel 1-0 Clarendon, Eunice 0-0 Bloemhof.