Boys, boys, boys!

Soccer talent scouts are expected to swarm into the Eastern Cape capital of Port Elizabeth to assess, among others, players from Bela-Bela Soccer Academy during the national finals of the Copa Coca-Cola Cup.

The tournament would be staged from 26 to 29 September at the local Wolfson Stadium.

In a nutshell, the Bela-Bela Soccer Academy (Bela-Bela High School) boys were crowned Limpopo champions of the Copa Coca-Cola Cup following an incredible run during the provincial play-offs,
after sending reigning champions, Benny’s Sports Academy tumbling from the competition.

The provincial stage of the tournament was staged at Giyani’s Malamulele Stadium last Saturday 1 September.

The academy youngsters kicked off the tournament by walloping Morwathebe Secondary School 5-0, and then beating the latter 2-0.

Bela-Bela Soccer Academy beat 2017 provincial champions 6-5 on a penalty shootout.

The match had ended 2-all at the end of reguilation time.

As an addition to this year’s COPA Coca-Cola tournament, Coca-Cola launched its COPA Coca-Cola Future Stars Search initiative which seeks to identify talented footballers.

Yesteryear professional soccer sensation, Jabu “Shuffle” Mahlangu (formerly Pule) has was to prepare the team for the national finals, using Pretoria’s high-performance centre as the nerve
centre.

He would be working with the national under-17 assistant coach, Vela Khumalo, retired soccer stars Simba Marumo and Jabulani Mendu.

It’s not going to be smooth-sailing at the national finals.

The Limpopo champions were scheduled to do battle with, among other provinces, Gauteng-based reigning champions, Clapman High Scool and KwaZulu-Natal’s Glenwood High School.

Ikeletso Secondary School (Eastern Cape), Kuyakhanya Primary School (Western Cape), Seiphemelo High School (North West) and Moroka High School (Free State).

Participants from Mpumalanga were still to be confirmed at provincial play-offs scheduled for Saturday 8 September.

— The BEAT