Crème de la crème sporting achievements

This week I took a conscious decision to put together a column with the spotlight on the sporting achievements of youngsters in the Waterberg and the broader Limpopo.

We have to start with the remarkable Kgaugelo Sebola, the 15-year-old who has sent soccer agents circling over the small town of Bela-Bela.

TK Mashaba has reported in our last edition that the lethal striker from the Bela-Bela Soccer Academy has attracted the attention of CAF Champions League winners, Mamelodi Sundowns, Supersport United, Baroka and Jomo Cosmos.

Kgaugelo had the rare opportunity to showcase his talents on the occasion of the Copa Coca-Cola Cup staged in the Eastern Cape capital of Port Elizabeth in recent weeks.

The youngster has already been taken through an assessment programme by former Bafana Bafana coach and soccer legend of all-time, Jomo Sono, at his National First Division-campaigning team, Jomo Cosmos.

TK should most probably be reporting on further developments, with regards to similar assessments at Baroka, Mamelodi Sundowns and Supersport United.

I write this piece waiting with much interest as to the opening fixtures of the Waterberg SAB Regional League, whereby newcomers such as Bela-Beola Soccer Academy FC, Swagger FC, Vaalwater
Highlighters FC, Vaalwater Stormbreakers FC, Mookgophong Barcelona FC and NTK Happy Boys, have been thrown into the proverbial lion’s den.

Looking back at last weekend’s Telkom Knockout fixtures, we have to applaud all the three teams which represented the home province very well at the highest level of South African soccer.

Baroka is the only team from the province which remains in the coveted Telkom Knockout series, after beating Lamontville Golden Arrows 2-0, away from home, for that matter.

While we agree that goals do win matches, special mention needs to be made with regards to the sterling performance by newly-promoted Black Leopards of Thohoyandou, after the minnows held
their own against Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs.

What was remarkable about this particular Telkom Knockout fixture was that Black Leopards held Kaizer Chiefs in thrall over 120 minutes of football, after the score-line remained 1-all at
regulation time and even after extra-time.

Black Leopards went on to lose the match 4-2 on penalties.

Polokwane City continued to give impressive performances, too.

The Limpopo capital’s team held the respected Supersport United 1-all, forcing the match into extra-time, before gallantly going down 6-5 after the dreaded penalty shootout.

Mzamane Ringane should in this very edition, unpack as to the three teams’ Premier Soccer League (PSL) fixtures going forward, and how things stand for the threesome, in terms of league log
standings.

On a different level altogether, I have to get the reporters to sensitize the city fathers in Bela-Bela that the makeshift railway crossing at Extension 7 is but an accident waiting to happen,
because of the lack of stop signs.

— The BEAT