Bree crowned Danone national champions

A composed display saw the Johannesburg outfit follow up their provincials glory with a 2-0 win, at Reiger Park’s WJ Clement Stadium, on Saturday, June 27.

They defeated Sonqoba Primary 2-0 in the penalty shoot-out of the provincials final, at the same venue, on June 13, to be crowned kings of Gauteng and to book their place in the nationals.

Bree now move on to represent the country at the Danone Nations Cup World Finals, in Morocco, in September.

They went all the way in 2009, when they were crowned world champions at the Orlando Stadium, in Soweto, in their second appearance at the world finals.

It was a significant improvement on their first appearance in the world finals, in 2008, when they finished ninth in Paris, France.

“We are back where we belong,” said an excited Bree coach, Bafana Dlamini.

“The players are still celebrating, although I am sure it has not sunk in yet that we will be heading to Morocco later in the year.

“We worked extremely hard from the beginning; I know it sounds like a cliché, but hard work ensures success and we have proven that.

“This team is similar to the one in 2009 who won the world finals – they are hard workers, they are determined and they are very disciplined.”

The mentor also explained how ”home ground” advantage saw them through the tough and competitive nature of the national finals.

“All the schools were in it to win it – I was surprised that the school from KZN [Mophela Primary School] didn’t qualify for the final match, as they were the dominant team at the nationals, but it goes to show that any school can win the nationals and that it’s important to win all your games.”

Following an arm-wrestle square-up in the first-half, where neither side created a clear-cut scoring chance, it was in the second stanza that Bree showed their big match temperament and pedigree in the tournament.

Dlamini’s men upped the tempo as their corner-kick count rose.

Their pressure finally told mid-way through the half and it was from a Tshepo Baitshumedi corner-kick that they opened their account.

Wandile Mndebele got in at the end of the set-piece, with a powerful header, to give his side a 1-0 lead.

It was again from a corner-kick that the Gauteng outfit produced the killer blow.

Baitshumedi delivered, but his effort was cleared – temporarily – before it landed on captain Ntando Simayile, who buried a long range grass-cutter past Mandela’s goalkeeper, Pakiso Nelani, outside the box, to end the match in style.

The Danone Nations Cup 2015 national participants were: Bree Primary (Gauteng, champions); Nelson Mandela Primary (Free State, runners-up); Mophela Primary (KZN); Restvale Primary (Western Cape); Lukholo Junior Secondary (Eastern Cape); Roodepan Primary (Northern Cape); Benny’s Sports Development & Academy (Limpopo); Kgetleng Primary (North-West Province) and Daniye Primary (Mpumalanga) – @SabeloBoksburg.

Bree Primary beat Sonqoba to win Danone Nations Cup

Farrarmere beats Sonqoba in Danone Nations Cup final