St Anne’s wins second trophy of 2025, Glenwood does Clive Barker proud
There was plenty of action across the country over the past week and weekend, with a couple of trophies on the line in KwaZulu-Natal.
Girls’ Football
Howick High hosted the third edition of the Midlands Cup, and it was St Anne’s Diocesan College, the winner of the Riverwood College aQuellé Soccer Festival in July, who added another trophy to their cabinet.
At Riverwood, they edged out Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High in a shootout in the final. At Howick, they scored a tight 1-0 win over the same opposition in the title game.
St Anne’s delivered resilient and focused performances, and they were exceptionally sharp in the group stage, banging home 17 goals before moving on to the semifinals.
There, they withstood a tough challenge from Kloof High, gritting their way to a 1-0 win to earn a place in the championship match.
Girls’ High, meanwhile, had an easier time in their semifinal, defeating Ixopo Secondary School 3-0 to make it into the final.
There was little to separate the teams, but St Anne’s, scored an all-important goal to come away with the win.
After an exceptional tournament, St Anne’s Tana Roques was awarded the Golden Boot for netting seven goals to help her team to the title.
India Dalrymple, also of St Anne’s, was named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament, while the tournament winners also had Musa Mnisi and Alexandra Bizarre named in the Team of the Tournament.
At just 17 years old, Mnisi is an exciting, emerging talent, who signed a professional contract earlier this year with Durban Ladies FC in the SAFA Women’s Super League, which is South Africa’s top women’s football league.
The runner-up, Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High, had five players – Nyaniso Khoza, Athi Radebe, Grace Shwala, Amile Nxumalo, and Akhona Hlophe – named in the Team of the Tournament. Hlophe was also named the Player of the Tournament.
The Midlands Cup featured 16 teams from the Midlands area, including sides from Ixopo and Greytown.
In Mpumalanga, in a derby battle, Penryn College recorded a 2-0 win over Uplands College.
Boys’ Football
On Saturday, in Pietermaritzburg, Durban High School (DHS) took on Maritzburg College on Barns Field, with the Raw Cup on the line. College held the trophy after a spectacular showdown in 2024, which finished 4-4 and then was decided in a penalty shootout, which went 4-2 in favour of the Red, Black, and White.
The match was highly entertaining. At one point, it appeared that DHS was on their way to a routine victory after they took a 2-0 lead by capitalising on College’s mistakes.
However, College is renowned for being tenacious and they showed why they were crowned the champion of the KZNHSFA Inland A-League in the second term by striking back to level the match.
A late goal, though, won it for DHS, and with that the trophy swopped hands.
In another exciting match, Glenwood High took on the 2025 Primo Big 10 champions, Hilton College.
Every year, Glenwood hosts a floating trophy match to pay tribute to the South African football legend and Glenwood Old Boy, Clive Barker. This year, the visitors were Hilton, who had succeeded the Green Machine as the Primo Big 10 champions.
The event also included an inspiring talk from Jes Foord, of the Jes Foord Foundation, which empowers rape survivors through awareness, education and support.
On Dixon’s Field, a closely contested battle finished goalless, but Glenwood triumphed 5-3 from the penalty spot to honour the legacy of “The Dog“.
Clive Barker’s legacy at the school also lives on in the u16 Clive Barker Festival, which was introduced in June and won by Pinetown Boys’ High.
In Pietermaritzburg, St Charles College followed up on a 1-0 win over Maritzburg College with another 1-0 victory, this time over Clifton College.
Northwood bagged a 2-1 victory over Michaelhouse to continue to build on an impressive run, while Alexandra High defeated Ixopo 2-1, and Kloof High also scored a 2-1 win when they met Kingsway High School.
It’s been a challenging third term for the champion of the KZNHSFA Coastal A-League, Westville Boys’ High, who were eliminated from the last 16 of the Mancosa KZNHSFA Cowie Cup last week by Alexandra High, which was followed by a 1-2 loss to Northwood on 22 August.
On Saturday, they had to come from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw with Kearsney College.
East London High Schools Football League
In the B Block of the BWFLA High Schools League, also known as the East London High Schools Football League, Dale College picked up a 2-0 victory over George Randell High on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Selborne College defeated the defending champion, Stutterheim High, 3-2.
On Friday, Cathcart High delivered an impressive performance against George Randell High, winning 5-1, while Dale College ran out 3-0 winners over Merrifield College.
In the Western Cape, Bishops Diocesan College claimed the St Andrew’s College Football title on Sunday. Earlier in the week, Bishops played to a 1-1 draw against Rondebosch Boys’ High.
In Gauteng, in a derby showdown, Jeppe High School for Boys secured a 3-0 win over King Edward VII School (KES) on Saturday.
RESULTS
B Block BWFLA/ East London High School Football League
Tuesday, 26 August
Dale College 2-0 George Randell High
Wednesday, 27 August
Selborne College 3-2 Stutterheim High
Friday, 29 August
Cathcart High 5-1 George Randell High
Dale College 3-0 Merrifield College
Western Cape
Wednesday, 27 August
Rondebosch Boys’ High 1-1 Bishops Diocesan College
KwaZulu Natal
Saturday, 30 August
St Charles College 1-0 Clifton College
Northwood 2-1 Michaelhouse
Kearsney College 2-2 Westville Boys’ High
Kloof High 2-1 Kingsway High
Alexandra High 2-1 Ixopo Secondary School
Clive Barker Floating Trophy
Glenwood (5) 0-0 (3) Hilton College
Raw Cup
Durban High School 3-2 Maritzburg College
Gauteng
Jeppe 3-0 KES
Girls’ Football
Mpumalanga
Penryn College 2-0 Uplands College
Midlands Cup
Semifinals
St Anne’s Diocesan College 1-0 Kloof High
Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School 3-0 Ixopo Secondary School
Final
St Anne’s Diocesan College 1-0 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High
