Four young soccer stars from the Highway Invitational under-13 soccer team, supported by WearCheck, were selected to represent KwaZulu-Natal at the annual Bill Steward Interprovincial Football Tournament, which took place in Port Elizabeth from 2 to 6 July.
They are Mvelo Ndaba, Sakhile Khanyile, Liam Sequiera and Nikolai Klewinghaus.
The Highway team was formed in order give the top under-13 football players from the region the opportunity to represent their province, with assistance from team sponsor, WearCheck. The team was drawn from schools including Highbury, Pitlochry, Forest View, Hillcrest, Lyndhurst, Thomas More, Winston Park and Kainon.
Proud team manager, Knowledge Vilakazi is also a teacher and coach at Highbury Preparatory School. He said, “The provincial selection process was tough, as there was plenty of talent from which to choose. We are honoured to have four players from Highway selected and we supported them throughout the challenge. This year, KZN was represented for the first time after a decade-long absence.”
The KZN team played 10 of the 12 scheduled matches, with two called off due to rain in PE. They won three, drew two and lost five. It was a very successful experience, with the team coming away richer for experience and memories, and looking forward to future tournaments.
The boys picked up all sorts of soccer know-how from watching the other players and playing against other teams, not to mention the spirit of camaraderie that they developed with their own team.
The boys were exposed to a high level of football for their age. Some of the KZN team members were proud to realise that they are right up there on a par with the best in the country.
Matthew Davies, the KZN captain, received a man of the match award, while goalie Cameron Hope provided a superb performance in the goals, really growing in skill as a result of the tournament.
One of the players, Lebo Letlaka, celebrated his birthday on the day the team flew down, and it was also his first time on an aeroplane, so the crew on the plane treated him like a king, even allowing him into the cockpit and to wear the captain’s hat!
Manager Knowledge Vilakazi said he also learned from the other managers and teams, and will in future be selecting an under-12 side to train for a whole year before they compete as under-13s, so they can get to know each other and hone their skills in advance of the next competition.
The 2012 tournament will be held in Kensington, Johannesburg, while 2013 will be hosted in KZN.
The team members were grateful to sponsors and parents who contributed to the team. For more information, visit WearCheck’s website.
