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The U-19 National
Finals of the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup kicked off at Clive Solomon
Stadium in Mangaung Metro, Bloemfontein today with 18 teams competing for the R1
million on offer for first prize. With so much at stake the players are
performing at their best and there have been some exciting games.
Shawn Bishop, chief
scout for Mamelodi Sundowns, was impressed with the talent he saw. “Some
of the players here could walk straight into a PSL Club and play for the first
team,” he said. “There is no lack of talent and I am impressed with the
way the schools are playing as a team. There is structure, composure and
good team work.”
Most of the schools
played two matches on the first day and among those to impress early on were
Pretoria's Rosina Sedibane Sports Academy, who scored 11 goals in their two
matches. They beat the Northwest Province representatives Sol Plaatjie and
Gaopalelwe 4-1 and 7-0, respectively.
Pre-tournament
favourites Harmony Sports School of Virginia, Free State, are on track to
defend their title after recording two wins and a draw in their three pool
games on the first morning. They beat Langeberg High from the Western Cape 3-0
in their opening fixture, and Eastern Cape's Mceba High 3-1 in their
second, before being held to a goaless draw by Steenberg High from the Western
Cape.
Harmony had the
afternoon off and will have just two games tomorrow, which may give them an
edge over the other sides in their group who still have three to play.
Gauteng's School of
Excellence also came into the tournament with high hopes and they experienced
mixed fortunes on day one. They lost 2-1 to Western Cape champions
Cloetesville, and then beat KwaZulu-Natal's Ezibukweni 3-1 and Sol Plaatjie of
Northwest 3-0. Their Stanley Muishond, marked as one of the players to watch at
the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup National Finals, has not disappointed and
scored a hattrick against Ezibukweni from KwaZulu-Natal.
Results
Pool A: Cloetesville 2 School of Excellence 1,
Rosina Sedibane 4 Sol Plaatjie 1, School of Excellence 3 Ezibuweni 1, Rosina
Sedibane 7 Gaopalelwe 0, Sol Plaatjie 1 Cloetesville 0, School of Excellence 3
Sol Plaatjie 0.
Pool B: Dr R Cingo 1 Reitvlei 0, East High
College 3 Lingelihle 1, Benny's Sports Academy 2 East High College 2, Lindile 1
Dr R Cingo 0.
