Two on the trot for soccer aces

13 May, 2005

_{WINNERS: Amandlethu High Scool Principal Bheki Manzi, school soccer captain Sithembiso Ngcobo, and Mvume Sipamla, Managing Director of sponsors MSA. Picture: Themba Khumalo}

By Themba Khumalo

Amandlethu High School, in northern eThekwini, was recently officially awarded the floating trophy for winning an annual soccer tournament co-sponsored by the city. The school came tops at a winter school tournament last year, which drew teams from 21 schools. It was the second year on the trot that Amandlethu took first prize.

Mtshali Sipamla Associates (MSA), a civil engineering company, sponsored the tournament along with the municipality’s Sports and Recreation Development department, as part of its strategy to support youthbased community projects. MSA Managing Director Mvume Sipamla said: “We want to improve the quality of life in the communities in which we work.

“This tournament has grown in popularity such that we now have talent scouts from local professional football teams. They attend these games to identify and recruit potential players for their clubs,” said Sipamla. The tournament has been running for the past five years and it was started to keep young people off the streets and away from the temptations of crime. Initially it involved only schools from KwaMashu, but from 2005 all high schools in the Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu area have been invited to take part.

Bafana

Bafana Bafana striker Siyabonga Nomvethe was among the VIPs at the tournament. Others attending included Sipho Mbatha, the then municipal Youth Manager; Thembinkosi Ngcobo, Head of the Parks, Recreation and Culture Department; and Malusi Gigaba, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. After the awards ceremony, as an extra reward for being the winning school, Amandlethus’ Grade 11 and 12 Maths and Science pupils were taken on a tour of the city’s Northern Waste Water Treatment Works, in Sea Cow Lake, and the Mariannhill Landfill site.

The winning team received jerseys and balls. Sipamla said the tour was to educate and encourage the pupils to pursue careers in technical fields, and in engineering in particular. “We wanted to expose the pupils to what happens to used water, after it is flushed from toilets and bathrooms. “There is a shortage of engineers in the country, especially blacks,” said Sipamla.

Amandlethu’s team Captain, Sithembiso Ngcobo, said it was an honour to receive the award. “We gave it our all during the tournament and the guys did their best. “They were prepared to die on the field during last year’s tournament and I want to reassure our teachers and fellow pupils we will do everything in our power to ensure the trophy remains the property of Amandlethu,” said Ngcobo.

He said winning the tournament would not have been possible without the support of their principal, Bheki Manzi, and the teachers. “The teachers and the pupils who screamed from the top of their lungs during the games were part of the team and contributed enormously to our triumph,” said Ngcobo. This year’s tournament will begin in June, during the school holidays.

KhumaloTK@durban.gov.za

bookmark this story