Cayle Marillier: “Our boys just want to enjoy football”
Following an impressive start by Hillcrest High to the Mancosa KwaZulu Natal Schools Football Association (KZNHSFA) Second-Term League, SuperSport Schools Plus caught up with Hillcrest‘s coach, Cayle Marillier, to discuss his role, the team’s performance, and the objectives they have set for this year.
Marillier began his coaching career in 2015 after matriculating from Kloof High School, where he also played first-team cricket and football, both of which he described as his fervent passions.
Although Hillcrest recruited him primarily as a cricket coach, his enthusiasm for football always remained significant.
“It’s something (football) that I was always very passionate about and I love it. It was always my second favourite sport, something that I wanted to pursue more, and on the coaching side, just because I really enjoy it,” he said.
During his first two years of coaching at Hillcrest High, Marillier took charge of the u16A team. He had lost out to Covid-19 in 2020. However, in 2022, things began to come together as Hillcrest scored nine wins, two draws, and lost only one of their 12 matches.
Following two successful seasons with the u16 squad, Marillier transitioned to the role of assistant coach for the first team, where he began by taking on various on-field and off-field responsibilities.
Now, having spent three years with the first team, Marillier said he thoroughly enjoys every aspect of the challenge.
“I’m not the most qualified person to be doing the job,” he said humbly, “but I’m very enthusiastic about the kids and about getting results with them. When I first got the role, I was very understanding of the boys that I dealt with in the squad because I coached them in the previous couple of years in the u16 team.”
Reflecting on the last year’s group, he noted that it was significantly different from the 2025 squad. The unit is more cohesive now, Marillier explained.
“I think everyone’s a lot more of a unit, which is nice. It gives the team a very different dynamic, and we have been achieving a little bit.”
He told SuperSport Schools Plus that they achieved their objectives at the beginning of the season by starting with two important wins, contrasting that with last year when Hillcrest made a shaky start. In 2024, Marillier said, a negative mindset infiltrated early on, which hindered Hillcrest’s progress.
Expounding on his role and enthusiasm for the sport, Marillier said his greatest satisfaction comes from understanding his players’ journeys and assisting them in recognising the reasons behind their actions. Witnessing the players develop into young men is what truly inspires him about football.
One of the most challenging aspects of coaching school football, for both coaches and players, is resetting their goals, he opined. Regardless of whether teams experience failure or success, the next match or practice is always approaching rapidly. Time is an uncontrollable factor, so the sooner one can recover from a setback, the more effectively one can navigate future challenges.
Hillcrest’s season was given a big boost on Tuesday, 22 April, when they beat the defending champions of the Mancosa Second-Term League, Glenwood High School, 2-0.
Marillier said Hillcrest has a good relationship with Glenwood. In 2024, they played two friendlies and also met in the league, and they learnt lessons from those games. So, when they met Glenwood again this year, they made sure to play their game and believe in themselves.
It’s Hillcrest High’s goal to compete this year, Marilier told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“We don’t see ourselves as favourites to win the league or tournaments. We see ourselves as underdogs in every game. That keeps us humble,” he said.
He said staying humble keeps the players diligent and motivated.
Hillcrest will aim to challenge for trophies, Marillier explained, but he acknowledged that the challenges awaiting them were tough. Nonetheless, he hoped for favourable outcomes in tournaments, including in the nearby Kloof High School National Football Tournament.
“We would like to compete for one of the trophies at the Kloof Tournament,” he admitted. “We are realistic and we do understand that the likes of HTS Louis Botha are very good football teams.
“I think it would be difficult and slightly unrealistic to say we want to win the Cup, but to win the Plate is a very realistic goal for us. We are hoping to compete there, and, overall, to achieve more. Our boys want to enjoy football at the end of the day,” he concluded.
The Mancosa KZNHSFA Coastal and Inland Leagues will resume next week, with some of the KZN schools currently competing in tournaments, including the Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament, which began on Wednesday in Kimberley.
