KZNCU Development graduates excited by India challenge
The South Africa U19 team leaves for their tour to India on Friday.
THE Coca Cola South Africa U19 team leaves for their tour to India on Friday and Andile Mokgakane, Lifa Ntanzi and Thamsanqa Khumalo are excited to compete against the four-time Under-19 Cricket World Cup champions.
The trio worked their way up the KZNCU development pipeline and were first introduced to cricket as part of the Department of Sports and Recreation (DSR), Sunfoil KZNCU Township and Rural Development Programme (which was re-aligned to the KZNCU RPC/Hubs Development Programme last September).
“I really can’t wait to play against them,” said Khumalo. “We will be playing the best under-19 team in the world and I’m very excited about it.”
Mokgakane, a Northwood School learner, said that he hopes that the sub-continent will teach him more about the game. “I’m feeling very excited as India is known as the “home” of cricket.”
Read also: KZN cricket mourns the loss of talented Hub coach
Both Khumalo and Mokgakane have represented SA U19 before, but it’s a first for Ntanzi. “I’m so excited – I can’t wait to be wearing green and gold for my country, but beating India in India would mean a lot to us but that won’t be easy,” he said.
The duo expressed their gratitude to the Willowton Group which made it possible for them to attend high school at Northwood Boys High and Glenwood High respectively, as part of the company’s Sunfoil Education Trust initiative.
Mduduzi Mbatha the KZN Coastals U19 and Dolphins Academy head coach said that Ntanzi, Khumalo and Mokgakane have served as good examples for the rest of the squad.
“They have had their fair share of hard times,” he explained. “Andile has been selected back in the SA U19 side after being dropped so he is even more hungry this time round. Lifa missed out on the tour to England last year so he is hungry to show his skills. Thamsanqa went on that tour and wants to do better this time round and mentally he is in the right frame of mind.”
Read also: Montgomery to lead SA U19 side in India
For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram
