Southern Gauteng A ready to tackle WP A in SASHOC Nationals final
The last time Southern Gauteng A was in the boys’ final of the u18 SASHOC National Week was in 2023, when they took on Western Province A for the title in Bloemfontein.
In that clash, Gauteng showed fight and resilience, but they were outplayed and defeated 3-1 by a star-studded Province side.
Two years on, the boys from Johannesburg will have another crack at Province after booking their spot in the 2025 title game at Maritzburg College.
The final takes place on Pape’s Astroturf, and pushback is at 11:45.
The Kyle Reddy-coached side defeated Western Province B 3-1 in the semifinals the disappointment of missing out on the final as was the case last year. They went on to finish fourth.
Southerns put together an impressive run in Pool A and finished in second place with four wins from their five outings.
They claimed the scalps of Eastern Province A (1-0), KZN Coastal B (5-1), Boland B (8-1), and KZN Inland A (2-0). However, they suffered a hefty 1-5 loss to WP.
The second-place finish in the pool guaranteed them a semi-final spot against an unpredictable WP B side that’s made waves throughout the tournament.
It was far from a walk in the park for Southerns. They found the going a tough slog in the first half despite dominating possession.
They had two peanlty corners awarded, but their execution let them down while the Province B defence held firm. Aidan Blatch also had a golden chance in front of the goal, but his shot went wide.
It was 0-0 at the halfway point, but that changed in the third chukka.
Province B brought the game to life when Jacques van Dyk converted from the top of the circle early in the chukka to set up an interesting finish.
That goal appeared to touch a nerve in the Southerns’ camp, and they responded almost immediately through their captain Ethan Kapanda.
The floodgates opened after that, and Zeyad Davids, who is in the form of his life, scored an outrageous Tomahawk to make it 2-1.
Juan Martin then took the outcome out of Province B’s reach in the final chukka after a smart PC variation with Blatch.
Speaking to SuperSport Schools Plus afterwards, coach Reddy gave his assessment of the match: “I think Western Province B came out well today,” he said.
“We struggled to break them down, and they kept us at bay with their scramble defence, and that took away a lot of opportunities from us.
“At the end of the day, with the coaching staff we have in Woody (Anthony Woodhouse) and Andy (Andy Aldred) and the group of boys we have, we showed grit and determination.”
Reddy said his halftime team talk was about getting the boys to stick together, press as one unit, and implement the game plan. It worked.
He’ll be hoping for a similar performance on Saturday against Western Province A.
“We have a point to prove against Province after coming out of the group with them and them beating us.
“We will prepare as best as we can and give it our best tomorrow.,” he said.
While Southerns were made to sweat for their semi-final win, Province posted a comfortable 5-0 win over a gutsy Northern Gauteng A in the second semi-final.
Coach Jody Erasmus’s side continued on their merry winning way after powering past their opponents in the group stages.
Litha Kraai netted a hat-trick, with two of his goals coming from penalty strokes, while captain Jo le Roux sent a thunderbolt drag flick past Northerns’ keeper Owen McMenamin, who has had a tournament to remember. Zachary Gibbon completed the dubbing in the 53rd minute.
“The big focus for us in this game was on short corner defence,” coach Erasmus said after the game.
“We knew Northerns had a threat there, and we must respect the ability and talent of Luken Brunette, but I think our ‘keeper, Marley Musasa, took charge well and had the guys running good lines.
“As much as we wanted to score, we understood the game might come down to how well we defended, and that was key for us.”
Province is hunting a fifth straight SASHOC National Week title, but they face the tricky task of beating Southern Gauteng for a second time.
Western Province claimed a convincing 5-1 win when they met earlier in the tournament, but Erasmus believes a different challenge awaits his team in the final.
“It’s easy to focus on the opposition because we’ve played them before, but we understand any team can give you a different look and energy in a final,” he said. “Hence, we want to focus on ourselves.
“We can’t over-prepare or under-prepare. We will want to score early and dictate the tempo of the game because Southerns are quick, and we’ll want to slow them down.”
Day 5 | Results and scorers
Southern Free State A 3: Gurshwin Matebesi (2), Cobus van Wyk. KZN Coastal B 2: Mesuli Msomi, Murray Wicks.
KZN Inland A 9: Gordon Deutscher (4), Tadi Hove (2), Reagan Mudau, Andile Lembethe, Siwa Sithembu. Southern Gauteng B 0.
Boland A 3: Bukhosi Mapethe, Ruben Gouws, Luka Meets. Eastern Province A 0.
Southern Gauteng A 3: Ethan Kapanda, Zeyad Davids, Juan Martin. Western Province B 1: Jacques van Dyk
KZN Coastal A 2: Seth Simpson, Joshua Mungherera. Boland B 1: Noah Hendricks.
Western Province A 5: Litha Kraai (3), Jo le Roux, Zachary Gibbon. Northern Gauteng A 0.
DAY 6 FIXTURES
07:30 – KZN Coastal B vs Southern Gauteng B (11th/12th position) @Epworth School
08:55 – Southern Free State A vs KZN Inland A (9th/10th position) @Epworth School
08:55 – Northern Gauteng A vs Western Province B (3rd/4th position) @Maritzburg College
10:05 – Eastern Province A vs Boland B (7th/8th position) @Epworth School
11:15 – Boland A vs KZN Coastal A (5th/6th position) @Epworth School
11:45 – Southern Gauteng A vs Western Province A (Final) @Maritzburg College
