The 2013 under-15 COPA Coca-Cola®
football tournament will reach its climax when nine provincial winners compete
in the National Finals scheduled for the 11th to the 13th of October at the
Vreygrond Stadium, St. Patrick Avenue, Cape Town.
The National Finals are a culmination of
grueling months of qualification matches, to produce the best school team to
represent the province at the National Finals. During the same time a team of
scouts were also looking out for exceptional players, whose teams did not
qualify to nationals but stood a chance to form part of the All Star
Invitational Team.
The 2013 COPA Coca-Cola® All Star
Invitational players, like their peers will also experience the national finals
as well as an opportunity to showcase their talent.
With reigning champions Johannesburg
Secondary School from Gauteng, and runners-up Bodikela Secondary School from
Free State out of the running, this year’s tournament opens the door for other
schools to show their potential and be crowned the new champions.
This is good news to Benny’s Care Sports
Academy who has their eye fixed on making this their COPA Coca-Cola® first
national title. The school is representing Limpopo for the 4th successive year
in the tournament and vows to do things differently this year.
“I’ve told my boys that we can perform
well this year, if we only focus and give our outmost best. We are ready for
the final battle, by winning this year’s COPA Coca-Cola®, we will not only make ourselves proud but the
community, our school and the province as well.” says Justice Matloga who has
coached Benny’s Care for the past five years.
Matloga also acknowledged that the team
has learnt from last year’s “slip-ups” and will have a different approach this
year: “Last year we lost a lot of points due to lack of concentration. The boys
have to master the art of concentration and focus; I have therefore mentally
prepared them not to make simple mistakes.”
Matloga is also aware that his squad
will have to score goals and match their opponents’ strength in each and every
game in order to proceed to the next round.
Expected to give Benny’s Care a run for
their money is none other than new Gauteng champions Rosina Sedibane Modiba
Sports School and Free State champions Harmony High School. Both schools have
entrenched themselves among the best soccer schools in the country and have
produced some of the nation’s top footballers. Their partnership with
respective Premier Soccer League clubs i.e. Supersport United and Bloemfontein
Celtic, have played an imperative role in their players development.
Coach Ronald Peterson, who is also at
the helm of Rosina Sedibane’s sports development, said he was happy to be
finally representing Gauteng at nationals.
“We have been struggling for years to
win the COPA Coca-Cola® provincial title and we are excited to have finally
done so. We are newcomers in the national stage of the tournament but
definitely not newcomers in schools football. Preparations are well underway
and my boys are looking forward to this challenge.” said Peterson.
Meanwhile, Harmony is also working hard
to ensure they are ready when the time comes. Many of the Harmony High School
pupils, who will also participate at the national finals, are also part of the
Harmony Sport Academy, founded in 2003 with a sole purpose of developing
football excellence, something The Coca-Cola® is passionate about.
Other provincial finalist of the 2013
COPA Coca-Cola ® national finals includes;
·
Qhilika Secondary –
Kwazulu-Natal.
·
Thikhondele High School –
Mpumalanga.
·
Kakamas High School –
Northern Cape.
·
Luckhoff High School –
Western Cape.
·
Charles Morgan Senior
Primary School – Eastern Cape.
·
Tshedimosetso Secondary
School – North West
