Joburg’s best soccer youngsters descend on Randburg

PRAEGVILLE – The Discovery Knockout Cup finals treat spectators to a soccer spectacle.

Bianca Heise of De La Salle takes the ball forward with Genevieve Rossouw in support during the U14 girls final.

Diggers Rugby Club at the Randburg Sports Complex was privileged to host the finest young soccer talent in the city, for the Discovery Knockout Cup finals.

The best school teams from across Joburg made their way to the field on 15 August, to play out the finals in the U9–U14 boys and girls divisions.

The day saw non-stop action, and the crowd was well pleased with the soccer spectacle, as tears of joy and heartache alike were shed and sportsmanship reigned supreme.

Bothlale Maja of Saxonwold chases Jennifer Greig of De La Salle in the U14 girls final.

Some of the highlights included an 8–0 thrashing De La Salle Holy Cross College’s U14 girls inflicted on Saxonwold Primary School. The shocking scoreline was made even more surprising by the fact that both teams went into the match unbeaten.

An intense game between the U11 girls of Fairsand Primary School and Lyndhurst Primary School ended 1–1, with devastating early attacks leading both teams to tighten their defence and cancel out the other’s advances. The match was so close it looked like it would go either way, but as the whistle blew, tournament rules dictated that the teams had to share the trophy.

Khanyisile Tsum (blue) of Fairsand Primary School defends her goal during the U11 girls final.

For once, both sides sharing the title were content with the result. It was also not the only draw on the day, as six schools in total shared trophies.

“Initiatives like the Discovery Knockout Cup are aimed at promoting participation in school sport and developing upcoming football stars,” said Dr Craig Nossel, head of Vitality Wellness at Discovery.

“Besides the enjoyment that comes from playing the beautiful game, the children keep healthy and learn valuable social skills that are a key part of childhood development.”