A clash of the titans awaits in Absa Wildeklawer semis
Following three days of football filled with surprising outcomes, the Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament is down to four title contenders, with the defending champions, Clapham High School, and the two-time champions, HTS Louis Botha, among those progressing to the semifinals.
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Shock waves shook the competition on Thursday, day two of the event, with some top teams being among the first to be eliminated.
The KZN powerhouse, Maritzburg College, failed to secure a top-two finish in their pool, which meant they were out. Last year, the Red, Black, and White placed sixth. They’re going to finish lower than that this year.
On Thursday evening, in a must-win final group match, Grey College dominated Maritzburg College, handing the Pietermaritzburg school a 3-0 defeat, and that spelt the end of the KwaZulu-Natalians’ title hopes.
Among the others who missed out on the quarterfinals were Brebner, Glenwood, the tournament host, Kimberley Boys’ High, and Victoria Park, from Gqeberha.
On Friday, the stakes were raised with semi-final places on the line. There was success for one of the local sides, Wildeklawer Academy, which had topped Group A, ahead of Paul Roos Gimnasium, Kimberley Boys’ High, Glenwood, and Potchefstroom Boys’ High. recording three wins and a draw.
In the quarterfinals, they faced Norkem Park High School, who placed second in their group, behind Clapham High. The locals produced a dominating performance, triumphing 4-1, which showcased their ambition to go all the way. On Saturday, the Wildeklawer Academy will face a tough challenge against the defending champions, Clapham, in the semi-finals.
The Pretoria school is aiming to emulate the success of HTS Louis Botha, who won the tournament in both 2022 and 2023, by also winning back-to-back titles. They impressed in the quarterfinals, scoring a comfortable 3-0 win over Paul Roos.
HTS Louis Botha also advanced to the final four. They finished second in Group C, behind Virginia High School, but they showed off their championship pedigree by winning their quarterfinal clash against their Bloemfontein rivals, Grey College, by a 3-1 margin.
Their reward was a rematch of their Group C clash with Virginia High, which had ended 0-0. Virginia progressed after a 1-0 defeat of Navalsig High.
RESULTS
Thursday, 1 May
Group A
Wildeklawer Academy 4-1 Potchefstroom Boy’s High
Paul Roos Gimnasium 0-0 Glenwood
Kimberley Boys’ High School 2-2 Glenwood High School
Glenwood High School 4-1 Potchefstroom Boy’s High
Kimberley Boys’ High School 2-0 Potchefstroom Boy’s High
Group B
Norkem Park High School 2-0 Northern Academy
Clapham High School 1-0 Norkem Park High School
Emmang Mmogo High School 4-1 Northwood School
Clapham High School 5-1 Northwood School
Northern Academy 2-1 Emmang Mmogo High School
Group C
Reddam House Bedfordview 1-1 Victoria Park High School
HTS Louis Botha 0-0 Virginia High School
Victoria Park High School 0-0 Brebner High School
Virginia High School 2-0 Reddam House Bedfordview
HTS Louis Botha 6-0 Reddam House Bedfordview
Virginia High School 2-0 Brebner High School
Group D
Jeppe High School for Boys 2-0 Border Schools
Navalsig High School 1-0 Maritzburg College
Grey College 2-0 Navalsig High School
Maritzburg College 1-1 Border Schools
Grey College 3-0 Maritzburg College
Navalsig High School 2-1 Jeppe High School for Boys
Friday, 2 May
Quarterfinals
Virginia High School 1-0 Navalsig High School
Clapham high school 3-0 Paul Roos Gimnasium
HTS Louis Botha 3-1 Grey College
Wildeklawer Academy 4 – 1 Norkem High School
Saturday, 3 May
Semifinals
09:00 – Clapham High School vs Wildeklawer Academy
09:00 – HTS Louis Botha vs Virginia High School
