Exciting wins for Barnato and Northview in SCZ Schools Tournament

Barnato Park High School boys and their counterparts from Northview High have progressed to the quarter-finals of the 7th edition of the 2021 Sibusiso Cosmos Zwane (SCZ) Schools Tournament.

The two schools progressed after Barnato eased past a hapless Highlands North Boys’ High School by a 4–0 scoreline while Northview recorded a 2–1 victory over Wendywood High School, in the preliminary round of the tournament played at the Number 3 Square Grounds on September 9.

They join six high schools from Alexandra in the quarter-finals of a shortened version of the competition which kicks off on September 16 and will play every Thursday and Friday until the final scheduled for September 30 at the same venue which has since become the biobubble of the tournament.

Barnato and Highlands were the first on the pitch as a rampant Barnato ran riot on the field, scoring four goals to no reply from Highlands North, all of them coming in the first half of a thrilling spectatorless game due to the Covid-19 protocols.

Northview’s 2–1 victory over Wendywood was decided by a late bouncing header from Tete Chiweta that gave coach Enoch Maloka’s team a deserved victory after dominating the game for most of the play time.

Wendywood had a default goal awarded to them by referee Sandiso Myaleni after some Northview players came into the match without wearing shin guards. According to Myaleni, the Northview boys started begging around for shin guards from players of the Barnato-Highlands match, causing the delay.

In justy nine minutes into Wendywood default goal, Chiweta’s snapshot was stopped by the Wendywood keeper who spilled the ball into the path of Northview’s Njabulo Nkosi, who made no mistake as he mopped up the rebound to score his team’s opener.

Wendywood had a tough time defending the ball as Northview kept piling up the pressure with a dominating ball possession. Nkosi was a thorn in the flesh of the Wendywood with his dribbling wizardry and menancing runs to the goalmouth and was subsequently fouled inside the box and the referee awarded a penalty.

Nkosi got up and dusted himself up to take the penalty that was saved by the keeper. The late winner of the match came after a long ball distribution from Northview’s shot-stopper, Thabiso Mokoena, that found Wendywood’s goalkeeper out of position and Chiweta simply headed a bouncing header into the back of the net.

In the Barnato-Highlands match, Benit Ewomo, an offensive forward for Barnato, was a top performer in the first half as he scored a brace for his side’s four-goal victory.

Ewomo broke the deadlock three minutes into the match after Highlands’ left-back Vincent Maropene made a silly mistake at the back that gifted Ewomo an easy tap-in to the right hand corner to register his side’s first goal.

Another Highlands defender committed a costly error, this time Terrence Mosibe made a slow pass to his shot-stopper Sphephelo Shezi, and speedy Ewomo got to the ball first to complete his brace five minutes into the contest.

In the 17th minute, a dummy run by Ewomo on the frontline created space for his skillful teammate, winger Tlotlego Moamogwa to score after being picked up with an amazing through pass from Mandla Bhebe.

It was a flawless display by Moamogwa again as he created the fourth goal for Tebatso Phakathi to hammer home the final nail into the coffin of Highlands.

In the quarter-finals, Northview and Barnato join KwaBhekilanga Secondary School, Alexandra High School, Realogile High School, East Bank High School, Pholosho Junior Secondary School, and the defending 2019 Champions Minerva Secondary School.

The 2020 edition of the tournament was cancelled due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 global pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.