Lehlasedi
High School from Shatale Township, near Bushbuck Ridge in the Bohlabela Region
are the Mpumalanga provincial champions in the under-15 COPA Coca-Cola football
tournament.
They
beat Tikhontele High School in a penalty shootout in the finals, played in
Nelspruit last Saturday, and now will represent Mpumalanga in the National
Finals in Johannesburg in July.
Lehlasedi
High School has been participating in COPA Coca-Cola since 2000 and this is the
first time they made it through to the National Finals. The team is coached by Aubrey Molele, an
experienced coach who was with Second Division Club, Two For Joy, from 2000 to
2002. .
Molele
is very proud of his team’s achievement. “Most of the players are from
surrounding rural areas and walk up to 7km a day to get to school. This, I believe, contributed to their fitness
and ability to sustain peak performance throughout the day.”
“But
competing in the National Final is not going to be easy,” said Molele. “My players are very talented but we have to
work on our ball control and passing skills if we want to finish within the
first three.”
Defender
Theo Lekhuleli is Lehlasedi’s key player.
“After so many years competing in COPA Coca-Cola I am so pleased to be
part of the team that has put us into the National Finals for the first
time. What also excites me is to get the
opportunity to play against other teams from around the county as that will
help us all learn a lot in terms of different styles of play and it will give
me a chance to showcase my talent nationwide.”
MPUMALANGA RESULTS
Schools
participating:
Tikhontele
High School (Ehlanzeni Region); Nansindlela Combined School (Nkangala Region);
Lindile High School (Gert Sibande Region); Lehlasedi High School (Bohlabelo
Region).
Tikhontele
High School 3 vs Lindile High School 1
Lehlasedi
High School 2 vs Nansindlela Combined School 0
SEMIFINAL
Lindile
High school 2 vs Nansindlela Combined
School 1
FINAL
Lehlasedi
High School 1 vs Tikhontele High School 1 (Lehlasedi won 5-4 on penalties.)
Lehlasedi
High School now join Robinvale High School from Western Cape, Masibonisane High
School from KwaZulu-Natal, Kabelo Secondary School from Limpopo, Are-Fadimeheng
Secondary School from North West and Johannesburg Secondary School from Gauteng
in the race for the COPA Coca-Cola National crown. The other provinces are
still to select their representatives.
