The emotionally intelligent under 12 team, secured a spot in the world cup finals by outsmarting their opponents in the finals held at Dobsonville Stadium, Soweto last weekend.
The final match was tough, said a tired, but excited Mazwi. “The game was evenly matched and both of us had our chances, but we failed to convert. At the end of regulation time the game was deadlocked leaving it to penalties to decide who would be going to Spain. I knew then that we had the game in the bag as I had a gut feeling that I needed to prepare my goalkeeper for this exact situation.”
In the end Nomlinganiselo won 4-3 on penalties. “I am extremely proud of my boys,” said the coach. “When one considers that our school has poor soccer facilities and we have limited equipment for training yet we still managed to beat schools that have much more than us. It is testament to how determined and courageous the team was. Charles Morgan has competed in two other national finals and went into the game as the more experienced school.”
“I learnt so much in Gauteng. Every team had their strengths in terms of tactics and technical skills that I will implement back home in Cape Town. However, I will keep to my primary focus, which is to prepare the boys emotionally for the experience.
I will teach them all about Barcelona, the countries we will be playing against, while continuing to build their confidence. Preparations will consist of classroom activities as well as on field training and plenty of practise matches. We are going to look for support from the local structures to find better training facilities to get the boys used to playing on excellent surfaces.”
The coach is planning on obtain his SAFA Level 1 coaching certificate in March 2019.
“I believe the Level 1 certificate focuses on coaching kids, which will help me prepare them better. Currently I have no coaching experience and teach according to what I know, which might not necessarily be the best practise.’
Mandla Mazibuko- Mamelodi Sundowns star, was one of the scouts who attended the finals.
We wish our boys bon voyage as they prepare to Salsa in Spain…!
