Haggai Combined Private School the Danone Nations Cup champions

The team of Haggai Combined Private School and coaching staff celebrate after receiving the winners' trophy. Photo supplied.

Haggai Combined Private School the Danone Nations Cup champions

Haggai Combined Private School’s Under-12 soccer team, with Mr Justice Matloga as their coach, has won another title, this time as the provincial champions of the Danone Nations Cup.

Haggai, from Thohoyandou, won the title at the provincial finals at Hoërskool Noorderland in Polokwane last weekend. The final game between Haggai and Kgwatlele was called off because of bad weather, but Haggai were declared the champions because they finished on top of the log in the round-robin phase.

Matloga was the coach at Benny’s Sport Academy and Development when the school first opened, and during his stay there, the school won many trophies. He said that winning the title this year was very special for him and his team. He joined them in 2015 and this was the first time that the players had played in a tournament of this size and he was concerned about how they would handle the pressure. “The team started off really slowly and I thought they wouldn’t manage against other schools that had many years of experience in the Danone Nations Cup,” he said.

He added that there was plenty of work ahead of the team before the national finals in August. “We need to concentrate on the defence, as we made mistakes in the provincial finals that could cost us a chance of winning the national cup,” he said.

The results of all the matches are: Megoring 1, Katang 0; Kgwatlele 1, Thapola-A-Nkona 0; Haggai 2, Katang 0; Kgwatlele 4, Megoring 1; Haggai 3, Thapola-A-Nkona 2 (penalties); Kgwatlele 3, Katang 1 (penalties); Thapola-A-Nkona 2, Megoring 0 (penalties); Haggai 2, Kgwatlele 1; Thapola-A-Nkona 1, Katang 0 and Haggai 3, Megoring 0.

The chairperson of Sasfa Limpopo, Mr Hulisani Mabasa, the captain of Haggai, Photlego Marumo, and Mr Lesibane Ledwane, photographed during the presentation of the trophy.

Hlonipho Nkosi of Haggai in action during the finals. Photo supplied.

Israele Mathungana from Haggai Combined Private School in control of the ball during the final. Photo supplied.

Date:18 May 2017

By: Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

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