SAB league National Championship: Ten teams will do battle for the trophy

THE fiercest national league will kick off this weekend when the South African Breweries (SAB) u.21 National Championship commences.

Ten teams which include the nine provinces and the university side, University Sport South Africa (USSA), will do battle at the University of Limpopo in Polokwane from Saturday, July 9 to Saturday, July 16.

This is also considered as the largest and most successful grassroots football development league in the country. Players the likes of Andile Jali, Reneilwe Letsholonyane and Themba Zwane were produced by this league.

The launch took place on Monday, July 4 and was attended by SAB League graduates, Zwane, now a Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder and Thabo Senong, national u.23 head coach. The draw was conducted and the 10 teams were divided into two groups, after which the semi-finals will take place and then the finals.

The USSA team will be represented by the “cream of the crop” selected from the 30 000 nationwide players that participate in the SAB League. In line with the SAB League’s commitment to football development, a total of 20 match officials who will officiate during the tournament will undergo a week of training. This will be conducted by highly qualified technical and physical instructors, including FIFA referee, Sylvester Ndaba.

SAB’s Head of Sustainability and Transformation Mpho Sadiki said 2016 has been one of the most exciting seasons of the SAB League since the start of the brewer’s partnership with SAFA. Sadiki said, “We have been innovative in our commitment to football development with various initiatives such as the SAB League Skills Camps, higher education bursaries and player data monitoring. This is a positive direction that SAB has taken and we look forward to an exciting finale of the season at the National Championships.”