SOCCER
Maritzburg College soccer connects with community
Hosts the Maritzburg College U15C soccer team made new friends over the weekend when they met a team from the Kenosis Community Trust.
The Maritzburg College U15C’s match-up with the boys and girls of the Kenosis team produced a soccer match that brought much reward, fun and frivolity.
The Kenosis Community Trust is a foster care programme that serves the needs of orphaned and vulnerable children.
New friends were made and much common ground discovered.
Bonds of this nature extended by our KZN10 schools, which this website and social media serves is applauded.
Long may these initiatives continue across this website and social media’s chosen KZN10 schools.
As has been mentioned before by the KZN10.com website and social media offering; our common bond in sport brings the communities of our beautiful province closer together.
It truly is a case of
#RedBlackWhite #CollegeCommunity #FiveYearsForLife
* Source – Maritzburg College Facebook, shared by Michael Dibben.
Featured photo: SnapsbyRambo
Weekend Soccer Results 11 August
Soccer season has been in full flow as most KZN10 schools have played a number of inter schools fixtures.
This weekend however was a midterm break of sorts as only Michaelhouse and Hilton College competed against each other.
Results vs Michaelhouse
| 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | ~ | 2 | 0 | ~ | 1 | 1 | ~ | 3 | 3 | ~ | 3 | |||||||||
| 6th | 7th | 8th | ||||||||||||
| 4 | ~ | 0 | 3 | ~ | 1 | 0 | ~ | 0 | ||||||
| U16A | U16B | U16C | U14E | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | ~ | 3 | 3 | ~ | 2 | 0 | ~ | 2 | 0 | ~ | 1 | |||||||||
| U15B | U15C | U15D | U15E | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | ~ | 0 | 3 | ~ | 1 | 2 | ~ | 0 | 0 | ~ | 5 | |||||||||
| U14A | U14B | U14C | U14D | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | ~ | 0 | 1 | ~ | 0 | 3 | ~ | 0 | 2 | ~ | 2 | |||||||||
| Played | Won | Draw | Lost |
| 19 | 9 | 3 | 7 |
KZN10 also had 3 school head to St Davids Marist Inanda for their 17th annual challenge cup namely Hilton College, Clifton School and Michaelhouse.
There were mixed results over the weekend as the 1st and U15A teams competed. The stand out performance came from the Hilton College U15A who came a credible 4th out of 16 teams.
St Davids Marist Inanda Challenge Cup Results
Hilton College 1st
| Prestidge College | 3 | ~ | 2 |
| KES | 0 | ~ | 3 |
| Clifton School | 1 | ~ | 1 |
| Sutherland | 1 | ~ | 1 |
| St Stithians | 1 | ~ | 1 |
| St Benedicts | 2 | ~ | 1 |
Hilton College U15A
| Grey College | 1 | ~ | 1 |
| St Benedicts | 1 | ~ | 0 |
| St Stithians | 6 | ~ | 0 |
| St Johns College | 1 | ~ | 0 |
| KES | 0 | ~ | 1 |
| Grey College | 0 | ~ | 1 |
Michaelhouse 1st
| Parktown Boys | 1 | ~ | 2 |
| St Davids Marist | 0 | ~ | 1 |
| Sutherland | 0 | ~ | 1 |
| Clifton School | 2 | ~ | 0 |
| St Peters College | 2 | ~ | 1 |
| Waterstone College | 3 | ~ | 2 |
Michaelhouse U15A
| Sutherland | 2 | ~ | 2 |
| Norkem Park | 1 | ~ | 5 |
| KES | 0 | ~ | 1 |
| Clifton School | 1 | ~ | 2 |
| Prestige College | 2 | ~ | 2 |
| St Stithians Coollege | 2 | ~ | 1 |
Clifton School 1st
| KES | 0 | ~ | 6 |
| Prestige College | 1 | ~ | 4 |
| Hilton College | 1 | ~ | 1 |
| Michaelhouse | 0 | ~ | 2 |
| Waterstone | 2 | ~ | 1 |
| St Peters | 2 | ~ | 1 |
Clifton School U15A
| Jeppe | 0 | ~ | 6 |
| St Johns College | 0 | ~ | 4 |
| St Peters | 2 | ~ | 2 |
| Michaelhouse | 2 | ~ | 1 |
| St Stithians | 0 | ~ | 3 |
| Prestige College | 1 | ~ | 2 |
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Michaelhouse and College play to a draw
Michaelhouse and Maritzburg College clashed in a inter schools fixture which resulted in teams playing to a pulsating 1-1 draw.
College came into the fixture on a great run of form having beaten highly fancied Kingsway of Amanzimtoti the day before. The absence of inspirational keeper, Thandolwethu Zondi, and talismanic striker, Tariq Whiteman, could slow down the visitors.
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Michaelhouse started the game like a house on fire and immediately stamped their authority on proceedings. Luc Pousson being instrumental as he bossed the midfield in the opening stages as James Gush had two great scoring opportunities in the opening quarter. Shortly after College keeper, Luyanda Mawela, again saved College by blocking a Thabo Dlamini shot.
After being totally outplayed for most of the half the visitors finally strung some passes together resulting in their best chance of the match as a Monty Dorlly effort crashed in to the cross bar. In a flash the ball was moved up field for fleet-of-foot Thabo Dlamini to coolly slot the opening goal away. 1-0 to the hosts and well deserved for their dominant 1st half performace.
Maritizburg College 1st team against Michaelhouse.
College needed to raise the tempo in the second half, and that they did, as they pressured the Michaelhouse midfield. A sustained period resulted in College Striker, Nhlakanipho Khubeka, being brought down in the area. Captain Cool, Lwazi Zondi, wasted no time in slotting the penalty passed Michaelhouse keeper, Noah Stanger making the scores 1-1.
It was game on as the teams entered the last quarter of the match with the action being fast and frenetic as the teams moved up and down the pitch. Both goalmouths witnessed mad scrambled clearances as the two teams searched for the winner.
The game ended in a stalemate as the ref blew his whistle on a thoroughly entertaining match. Credit to College for the way they played particularly after they were reduced to 10 men after a sending off of one of their players.
Michaelhouse next head to the St Davids challenge cup with a nicely balanced team anchored by their man at the back Noah Stanger. College can finally have a break after a busy last few weeks
Score:
Michaelhouse: 1 (Thabo Dlamini)
Maritzburg College 1 (Lwazi Zondi)
Team Lists
Michaelhouse: 1 Noah Stanger (c), 3 Luc Pousson, 8 Nick Crampton, 5 Michael Bradford, 6 Mugabi Lubinga, 2 James Gush, 7 Gareth Kemp, 4 Michael Ross, 13 Alex Vermeulen, 9 Thabo Dlamini (vc)
18 Matthew Craigie-Stevenson
Head coach Ryan van Wyk
College: 16 Luyanda Mawela, 2 Monty Dorlly, 12 Zusiphe Gxarisa, 3 Nhlakanipho Phenyane, 5 Nqululeko Zondo, 13 Theo Hlatswayo,8 Bayanda Gumbi, 10 Lwazi Zondi (c), 14 Chad Desplace, 7 Nhlakanipho Khubeka (vc), 11 Nqibelelo Msiya
Substitutes
4 Riley Naidoo
9 Billy Brooks
Head coach
Daniel Haswell
KZN10 soccer goes national
This weekend marks the 17th edition of the St Davids Marist Inanda Challenge cup tournament with 3 KZN10 schools flying the footballing flag. With local schools Hilton College, Michaelhouse and Clifton School sending a combined 5 teams the boys from KZN are sure to make an impact.
The Soccer bonanza boasts 16 teams from all over the country highlighting the popularity of Schoolboy Soccer.
Hilton College were the highest placed KZN team last year finishing 9th so there is ample room for the KZN schools to stamp their authourity onto the national football stage.
An added fillip this year is that Schools Sports Live will be streaming the games on the main field on Saturday and Sunday.
Be sure to subscribe and ring the bell for notifications of streaming:
Here is to great weekends Soccer action.
Primo League kicks off KZN10 soccer
With 8 of the KZN10 schools participating and these weekends Primo League it looks set for a great weekend of soccer at the AB Jacksons Football field in Pietermaritzburg on the 13th and 14th July 2019.
| Group A | Group B |
| Maritzburg College | Northwood School |
| Durban High School | Westville Boys High School |
| Kearsney College | Glenwood High School |
| Clifton College | Michaelhouse |
Fixtures:
| Saturday 13th July 2019 | |||||||
| Time | Field | Pool | Team | vs | Team | ||
| 08 | : | 30 | 1 | A | M College | vs | Kearsney |
| 08 | : | 30 | 2 | A | DHS | vs | Clifton |
| 09 | : | 30 | 1 | B | Glenwood | vs | Northwood |
| 09 | : | 30 | 2 | B | Westville | vs | Michaelhouse |
| 11 | : | 30 | 1 | A | M College | vs | Clifton |
| 11 | : | 30 | 2 | A | DHS | vs | Kearsney |
| 12 | : | 30 | 1 | B | Michaelhouse | vs | Glenwood |
| 12 | : | 30 | 2 | B | Northwood | vs | Westville |
| 14 | : | 30 | 1 | A | M College | vs | DHS |
| 14 | : | 30 | 2 | A | Kearsney | vs | Clifton |
| 15 | : | 30 | 1 | B | Glenwood | vs | Westville |
| 15 | : | 30 | 2 | B | Northwood | vs | Michaelhouse |
| Sunday 14th July 2019 | |||||||
| Time | Field | Match | Team | vs | Team | ||
| 08 | : | 30 | 1 | QF 1 | vs | ||
| 08 | : | 30 | 2 | QF 2 | vs | ||
| 09 | : | 30 | 1 | QF 3 | vs | ||
| 09 | : | 30 | 2 | QF 4 | vs | ||
| Plate Semi Finals | |||||||
| Time | Field | Match | Team | vs | Team | ||
| 11 | : | 00 | 2 | Semis | |||
| 12 | : | 00 | 2 | Semis | |||
| Cup Semi Finals | |||||||
| Time | Field | Match | Team | vs | Team | ||
| 11 | : | 00 | 1 | Semis | |||
| 12 | : | 00 | 1 | Semis | |||
| Plate Final | |||||||
| Time | Field | Match | Team | vs | Team | ||
| 14 | : | 00 | 1 | Final | |||
| Cup Final | |||||||
| Time | Field | Match | Team | vs | Team | ||
| 15 | : | 00 | 1 | Final | |||
Match report: Goalkeeper heroics in penalty shootout steers Maritzburg College into MTN soccer final
It went down to a heart-stopping penalty shootout… and it was Maritzburg College first team goalkeeper Thandolwethu Zondi who undid the dreams of St Nicholas with 3 great saves under intense pressure as the RedBlackWhite clinched the match 3-1.
This MTN 2nd Term League U19A division semi-final ended 0-0 at full-time but the bare scoreline didn’t reflect how much action took place in each goalmouth.
Featured image: Maritzburg College first team soccer goalkeeper Thandolwethu Zondi was the semi-final matchwinner.
Tuesday afternoon’s humdinger took place at the AB Jackson soccer fields in Princess Margaret Drive, opposite Harry Gwala Stadium, home of Maritzburg United.
Diagonal neighbours across College Road/West Street, St Nicholas ended third in the league phase of the competition with Maritzburg College in second place.
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An error not to be made is to look at a school like St Nicholas and compare on the usual rugby cricket etc. basis to Maritzburg College. Soccer throws conventional Maritzburg College team sports codes rivalry completely out of the window.
With the passion on the sidelines palpable, it was Maritzburg College who started the first half well, with RedBlackWhite forward Tariq Whiteman instrumental in a number of the dangerous moves.
The desire on the part of both teams to win this one was immediately evident in the hotly-contested nature of every challenge… there was no holding back, and the referee had to chat with the players from both sides more than once in the early stages.
The MTN 2nd Term League U19A semi-final teams Maritzburg College and St Nicholas minutes before kick-off at the AB Jackson soccer fields yesterday.
St Nicholas were playing directly into the sun and it wasn’t an easy task for their goalkeeper to negotiate the high ball, and one suspected that the setting sun would be even harder on Maritzburg College keeper Zondi in the second half.
There was activity in both goalmouths in the first half but not quite on the scale of the second-half thrills and spills.
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The St Nicholas coach was in animated conversation with his boys during the halftime break.
From his body language there was no doubt that the central message was to pepper Maritzburg College keeper Zondi with high balls after the changeover.
And so it soon was. The second of two second-half high balls into the Maritzburg College six-yard box were hugely troubling for RedBlackWhite keeper Zondi and St Nicholas managed to steer the ball towards the goalline only for a Maritzburg College defender to make a goal-saving clearance off the line!
The St Nicholas first team take a breather at half-time during the nail-biting MTN 2nd Term League U19A semi-final with Maritzburg College at the AB Jackson soccer fields. Harry Gwala Stadium in the background. Photo Jono Cook
Here’s the rest of this pulsating semi-final in real time, as Jono saw it.
It’s all St Nicholas as two goalshot possibilities come and go before Maritzburg College have a similar opportunity at the other end. Having just said that… a great goalshot from St Nicholas… Just past the post.
Consternation in the St Nicholas goalmouth shortly after. It’s end-to-end non-stop stuff!
Maritzburg College make their third substitution – this time enforced. And the new sub has a great chance from a curling cross from the right but his goalshot is parried by the St Nicholas keeper!
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The St Nicholas coach is perpetual motion – in body and word – as he paces up and down like a caged lion…
A curling Tariq Whiteman free-kick into the goalmouth just evades a team-mate’s opportunity to head the ball into the St Nicholas net. At the other end a long-range St Nicholas direct free-kick curls past the wrong side of the near post.
Definitely a good spell being enjoyed by Maritzburg College in the last few minutes, but at the other end St Nicholas have a goalshot opportunity that doesn’t come off.
The protests at certain referee decisions are drawing increasing shouts of complaint from one side of the halfway line… Excellent defence from Maritzburg College as St Nicholas pile on the pressure.
Well, the best chance of the match so far… But the St Nicholas striker shoots wide of the far post with time on his side…
The full set of 2nd Term League finals with the dates and kick-off times. The PMB High Schools Football Association have done a great job in administering the busy schedule through the weeks of the tournament.
A direct Maritzburg College free-kick curves comfortably over the St Nicholas crossbar.
As much as there have been plenty of opportunities in both goalmouths one senses that this MTN 2nd Term League tournament’s first semi-final in the U19A division could be heading to penalties.
The referee is dishing out cards as the pressure to break the deadlock mounts. And a free-kick culminates in a St Nicholas defender clearing the ball off his goalline! Hardly a minute later, a Maritzburg College header is not far off the mark.
And the ref has had enough… A St Nicholas player gets a red card. St Nicholas down to 10 men for the rest of the match.
Aaaaaa-aaand that’s full-time!
Maritzburg College 0
St Nicholas 0
Straight to penalties after a brief break.
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THE PENALTY SHOOTOUT SEQUENCE
St Nicholas first…
A brilliant save low to his left by Maritzburg College keeper Thandolwethu Zondi!
And the Maritzburg College captain and midfielder Lwazi Zondi slots his penalty coolly into the net!
The St Nicholas second penalty… it’s inch-perfect.
The Maritzburg College second penalty… Is in!!!
After 2 rounds
Maritzburg College 2
St Nicholas 1
Into the third round… And yet another superb save by the Maritzburg College keeper!
And the Maritzburg College penalty? – It’s perfect!
3 rounds gone
Maritzburg College 3
St Nicholas 1
It’s make-or-break time for St Nicholas… If they don’t score with their fourth penalty it’s all over.
And the Maritzburg College keeper Zondi makes yet another stu-uu-uuuning save!!!!
It’s all over!!!!
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As the RedBlackWhite supporters cheer at full volume, goalkeeper Zondi’s team-mates rush from the halfway line to congratulate their heroic shot-stopper, thinking the game is over.
But no…
The linesman rules a keeper infringement…hazarding a guess, I think the keeper was adjudged to have advanced off his goalline towards the penalty-taker before he’d launched his goalshot…
St Nicholas get another chance… It must go in…
But the replayed St Nicholas penalty hits the post!
It’s GAME OVA-AAA!!!
Maritzburg College win the penalty shootout 3-1 and advance to the MTN 2nd Term League U19A Cup final, which takes place at the AB Jackson at 3.30pm next Tuesday, 11 June.
Well played St Nicholas… it’s a pity there couldn’t have been two winners.
Here’s Maritzburg College head coach Daniel Haswell’s thoughts on this pusating semi-final contest.
The second semi-final saw 2018 champions Haythorne, fourth in the league phase of the competition, face Carter, who ended first in the league.
And it was Haythorne who prevailed 1-0 through a B. Zondi goal in what was a typically hard-fought cup tie.
So it sets up a repeat of last year’s final, in which Haythorne beat Maritzburg College in an excruciatingly tense penalty shootout.
See you at the AB Jackson next Tuesday at 3.30pm!
* The tournament is administered by the PMB High Schools Football Association.
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Manchester City trial for Hilton’s Costi
Hilton College’s 16-year-old first team soccer goalkeeper Costi Christodoulou is on trial with English Premiership football giants Manchester City.
Costi jetted off to the UK over the weekend and for the grade 10 boy it’s a wonderful opportunity to reach for his dream.
Sunday saw Costi watch the Manchester derby between City and United and he began his trial with Man City yesterday.
City are hosting Costi over the next fortnight in order to have a close look at this young shot-stopper.
English champions City have been following Costi’s progress since he first started for SA U17 as a15-year-old prodigy.
The 16-year-old Costi is the current SA U17 captain.
Costi has been attending Maritzburg United training sessions since grade 9 and is the youngest player to have played in the Diski Challenge.
Hilton College has done its utmost to support Costi and has granted him leave of absence to attend training in the mornings at Maritzburg United’s Harry Gwala Stadium and made allowances for this highly intelligent lad to recoup time lost in the classroom later.
Being a boarder certainly helps this process and Costi has been hitting the 90 percentile academic average in his subjects.
Prior to this one, KZN10.com had written three stores on Constandino “Costi” Christodoulou – and Jono has written another on Costi for a national magazine.
* You can find the earlier KZN10.com Costi stories on the soccer page or the Hilton College page.
KZN10.com knows how to pick ‘em.
To be honest it’s not that difficult – and certainly pretty obvious to many – just a few minutes watching Costi in action for Hilton firsts or as captain of the Amajimbos (SA U17) and you can tell he’s got the elusive “it” that sets him apart.
The KZN10 family wishes Costi everything of the best over the next two weeks.
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MTN PMB FA Cup Team of the Tournament
FIVE of the 11 footballers selected for the MTN PMB FA Cup Team of the Tournament are from KZN10 schools.
In what was a hotly-contested final, the tournament was won by defending champions Hilton College, who edged Maritzburg College 4-2 in a gripping penalty shootout after the teams were locked 1-1 at the end of regulation time. This was a fiercely competitive football event in which any one of the top seven or eight teams might well have emerged title winners on another weekend.
The five players selected from the KZN10 schools that this website is all about, are goalkeeper Costi Christodoulou and midfielder Simphiwe Bhembe (both Hilton College), midfielder Kholwani Mthembu and striker Simphiwe Zondi (both Maritzburg College) and striker Luyanda Prince Mazeka (St Charles College).
Congratulations to all 11 selected – the other six players coming from three schools – Alex, Haythorne and Carter (two each). They are defenders Sinalo Ntlahla (Carter), Mxhumanisi Zulu (Alex) and Thembinkhosi Mkhize (Haythorne); midfielders Mnotho Nene (Alex) and Bryce Beyers (Haythorne), and striker Tevan Jones (Carter).
Tevan Jones, the cousin of Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana striker Ryan Moon, equalled his cousin’s PMB FA Cup record of 8 goals.
Maritzburg College Old Boy and Bafana Bafana striker Ryan Moon, seen here presenting his Kaizer Chiefs shirt to MC headmaster Chris Luman, had his PMB FA Cup goalscoring record equalled by cousin Tevan Jones of Carter High.
There must have been a host of players in contention for the various positions, such was the quality of individual players in this 20-team tournament.
The selection panel convenor was Wade du Plessis, the former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper who was voted by the popular Soccer Laduma publication as one of the five best Kaizer Chiefs shot-stoppers in the iconic South African football club’s long and distinguished history.
It certainly was no easy task for Wade and panel – there were 57 MTN PMB FA Cup matches spread over 53 hours on four pitches, from Friday, 24 August to Sunday, 26 August, so it took a knowledgeable, practised eye to know where to be, what to look for, and what qualities to take note of.
Looking at the five selected players mentioned above, these are my layman’s observations gathered over the three days.
* There are many other factors in assessing a player, of course – and I am sure others would add further qualities to my impressions, these are just my thoughts:
Goalkeeper Costi Christodoulou (Hilton College): Meticulous in his pre-match preparation. An imposing figure, Costi “owns” the goalmouth through sheer force of presence and personality. Costi’s unique field view affords him the opportunity to offer advice to his defenders when the opposition are on attack, and during set-pieces. His accurate boot, be it dead-ball or out-of-hand, is a prime attacking weapon, particularly given the 50-to 60-metre range he possesses. Razor-sharp reflexes honed over countless hours of training sessions, coupled with the ability to read a penalty-taker’s body language, make Costi a match-winner in a shootout. Technically, Costi is the full package, be it catch, palm, punch or keeper-positional awareness.
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Midfielder Simphiwe Bhembe (Hilton College): I may be wrong, but so be it – this is what I saw from a layman’s perspective. Simphiwe is agile, technically adept in assessing which of two or three on-face-value viable passing options is the most effective in any game situation. Protects the ball, enviable work rate, a marked ability to open a game up through an astute application of his skill set. Knows how to up the tempo of the game or slow it down, appreciates his responsibilities and holds himself accountable for his actions.
Midfielders know that communication is key. https://www.cellc.co.za/
Midfielder Kholwani Mthembu (the Maritzburg College captain): An outstanding tackler, exceptionally game aware, knowing where to plug the holes and make the calls when his team are drawn out of formation. Strong-minded, the kind of team-mate every player wants to have alongside him. Doesn’t shy away from physical challenges,a possessor of great stamina, durability and the foresight to identify and deliver an accurate long pass, be it a cross-field, straight or diagonal ball.
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Striker Luyanda Prince Mazeka (the St Charles College captain): Be it on the ground or in the air, the opposing team’s player will know that Prince has one thing on his mind – winning possession. So, an ability to take ownership of 50-50 ball, the prowess to shoot powerfully with left and right feet, very good in the air. As the target-man, the skill to receive the ball in tidy fashion and the visual awareness to know which is the best of several lay-off-pass options. Extreme pace over the first five- to 10 metres, Luyanda can leave an opponent for dead whether swivelling left or right. An instinctive awareness of where to be, in the right place at the right time.
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Striker Simphiwe Zondi (Maritzburg College): An out-and-out striker – goals are what he is about, be it with the head or the feet. A rangy build means Simphiwe is an obvious target man – strong in the air and on the ground – but it has its down sides. Seen as the opposition’s prime goal-scoring weapon, closely marked, shadowed by the opposition defender, the inevitable physical contact in goal-threatening positions meant that Simphiwe took more than his fair share of knocks. Yet he still scored 7 goals.
Maritzburg College Old Boy and soccer star Ryan Moon on the MTN PMB FA Cup
KZN10.com Exclusive. Going into the Sunday, 26 August 2018 knockout stages of the MTN PMB FA Cup, Bafana Bafana striker Ryan Moon recalls with great fondness the experience of playing for his alma mater in the popular tournament – and his record goal-scoring exploits.
Feature image: Bafana Bafana striker, Maritzburg College Old Boy Ryan Moon.
First a bit of back of background.
In October 2013, the 17-year-old Maritzburg College schoolboy Ryan Moon – just a couple of months after his record 8 goals in the PMB FA Cup, was signed by a Premier Soccer League club.
Born on 1 February 1996, Ryan is from a Pietermaritzburg football family. His father Patrick was a noted pro, while older brother Bryce has also been capped at Bafana Bafana level.
Of playing in the PMB FA Cup, Ryan told KZN10.com:
“I think the PMB FA Cup tournament is great, as it gives the boys a chance to be seen and to raise their hands. Scouts watch the tournament, so it’s important to have a good one.
“I enjoyed my time playing in the PMB FA Cup, as I made memories with my friends. It was a great platform for me to prove myself. I’m excited that I’m still the top goal-scorer but one of these days it will be broken, as records are meant to be broken.”
And two months ago, Ryan came back to Maritzburg College to talk to the boys. He addressed the school in the Alan Paton Hall in what was a momentous occasion with the boys enthusiastically joining in.
Ryan was presented with a Maritzburg College Old Boys blazer by headmaster Chris Luman.
Ryan Moon thanks the boys in the Alan Paton Hall moments after being presented with his Maritzburg College Old Boys blazer by headmaster Chris Luman.
* Thanks for your time, Ryan, I know you have been hectically busy.
Well, boys, now you see what is possible with excellent performances today – KZN10.com wishes you and your school first teams everything of the best in the quarter-finals and may you progress to the semi-finals, the final and go on to win the trophy.
PMB FA Cup 2017 – the effect it had on a rugby/cricket dad
Wow! This blew me over. Got a communication this morning from a dad – a dyed-in-the-wool schoolboy rugby and cricket supporter.
His son played in last year’s PMB FA Cup – and, not unlike yours truly, before I first watched a KZN high school football match – it knocked him over with the force of a Draadkar de Lange stiff-arm…
“My word, those boys lived and loved their soccer – such passion and commitment.”
* Please note the dad and son in question are not from one of the schools that may come to mind. The images in this story are unrelated, and are purely for illustrative purposes.
“My son played serious rugby and cricket last year (and, like Jono, I suspect dad is far more rugby- and cricket-attuned through his own school experiences) so I had experienced that, but the soccer! … I wasn’t prepared for what I saw.
“The 2017 PMB FA Cup soccer tournament was fabulous to watch. And my word, those soccer matches were competitive!”
“In time, I hope the sport gets more exposure at KZN schoolboy level – and this comes from a rugby/cricket dad with zero soccer experience.”
I think this dad has touched on something that has been lurking in the back of my mind for some time – since its relatively recent (in comparison to other long-established KZN schoolboy sports codes) inception as an official school sport, the sleeping giant is now beginning to stir. And properly.
Watch this space.
But let’s get back to dad:
“And Jono, many thanks for all the work you put in for school sport – hugely appreciated by many out there.”
Phew. Feels like Christmas Day. Or I’ve been given a blank cheque in a sports shop.
Thanks, guys, for the hat-trick of compliments so far today – you know who you are.
Back to tomorrow’s (Friday) Day 1 of the freshly sponsored MTN Pietermaritzburg FA Cup – and I swear that I mean this – even if the Boks were playing the All Blacks in my local park just down the road, I’d rather be at Howick High School and the 2018 edition of the 40-team PMB FA Cup.
That is exactly how much this event has caught my imagination.
There, I said it.
Seriously.