The
nine Danone Nations Cup provincial winners have just a few more games to play
to find out who will represent South Africa in the World Finals happening in
Warsaw, Poland from 7 – 9 September. The National Finals take place at Eldorado
Park on Saturday, 23 June starting at 9.30am.
Entrance is free and there is a kid’s play area where Danone and Canon
have put up a host of fun activities to entertain the crowds.
Whatever
team wins on Saturday, competing in the Danone Nations Cup World Final will be
a new experience. Limpopo’s Kgwahlele
Primary School has come close after managing to reach the 2011 National
Finals. “The whole community is behind
us and we will play our best to make them proud,” said Lesaba Kekana, team
manager. “To get to compete for a second
time shows me that, even though our coach has no formal football coaching
certificate behind him, it means we are doing things right. We would like to be the first team from
Limpopo to compete in the World Finals, but we are just focusing on the task at
hand and will take each game as it comes.”
Atamela
Primary School, from the North West, also played in the 2011 National
Finals. “Some of my players were in
Jo’burg last year, which I believe gives us an advantage,” said coach, Mr
Lebewo. “My first task is to build the
youngsters confidence and calm their nerves.
It is difficult for us to prepare properly as we have no grounds, nor
soccer boots, which we borrow from other teams, but we are not letting that get
us down. One of my key players is Teboho
Chake who defends like an adult. He
knows how to work with the team and is alert when danger approaches.”
All
the other teams are National Final first timers: Keidebees Primary School from the Northern
Cape, Bochabela Primary representing the Free State, Chakaza Primary from
Mpumalanga, AH Barnard Primary from the Western Cape, Nkuzimbini Junior
Secondary from the Eastern Cape,
Isinamuva Primary from KZN and
Sonqoba Primary from Gauteng.
For
Gauteng’s Abel Lebuthu from Sonqoba Primary, his build up to the National
Finals includes encouraging parents to come and watch their kids compete. “It is a major achievement to reach the
Danone Nations Cup National Finals, and we have home ground advantage so I want
parents to come and encourage their children. We have some high achievers in
our school, whether on the sports field or in the classroom, but parents do not
get involved with their children.
Parental guidance is essential at this age to teach the youth how to
develop into confident, well balanced successful adults.”
For
the rest of the teams just the trip to Jo’burg is an experience. “This is a big deal for us and a dream that
has come true,” said Issac Freeman, coach of Keidebees Primary in the Northern
Cape. “Most of my players have never
even ventured out of town. Now we get to
go to Jo’burg, stay in a hotel, see SAFA house and see how other teams from
different provinces play football. This
experience will most certainly build every player into a better and more
worldly person which will benefit him throughout his school life. It is opportunities like this that give
youngsters in the poorer areas the drive to go out there and make life happen
for themselves.”
