Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sports School’s U19 team will be in
action again this year vying for the R1 million first prize on offer in the
richest high school soccer tournament in Africa, the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools
Cup.
Rosina finished in third place in 2012 winning R500 000 for
the school that will be used to upgrade the soccer fields, lay down an
irrigation system, purchase new nets and soccer poles, soccer equipment, a
photo copy machine, cameras, televisions and DSTV. “This year we would
like to bring home the R1 million first prize as there is a lot more we need
for the school,” said coach Reginald Petersen.
Petersen says his team started training early this year with the
aim to maximise fitness levels. “By the beginning of February we were already
playing friendlies against other schools and in mid-February we moved to much
stronger teams and academies like Bidvest Wits, Clapham High School and the
School of Excellence,” he said.
Petersen believes his team is stronger than last year’s. “I am
confident that this year we will make it to the finals again, but this time we
are hoping to win. I have four players that were part of last year’s team and
the others come from our under-18s.”
Three of Rosina’s players that competed in the Sanlam Kay
Motsepe Schools Cup last year are currently contracted to Supersport United.
They are defender Thabo Moloi and midfielders Cebo Meyiwa (Rosin) and Snethemba
Ngidi. Zakhele Nkosi is currently training with Amazulu FC.
Entries for the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup closed on 26
March and the South African Schools Football Association (SASFA) are still
collating entries from around the country, but the number is expected to exceed
the 2012 figure of 2 500.
“This year will mark Sanlam’s fourth year of involvement in this
tournament,” said Frank Louw, Sponsorship manager, Sanlam. “One of the reasons
we got involved was to get as many footballers as possible between the ages of 15
and 19 to compete and give them the opportunity to be recruited into
development structures to be nurtured and shaped into professional footballers.
We are pleased that players from Rosina are now with a PSL Club and we look
forward to seeing them reach the highest level of the game.”
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