Colin Mendoza reflects on Affies’ historic victory over Maritzburg College
On Saturday, in Pretoria, the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) 1st XI scored a dramatic 3-2 win over Maritzburg College, historically one of South Africa’s leading hockey-playing schools, to best their rivals for the first time on the Astro.
They’ve come close in recent seasons, drawing 1-1 in 2024, 2-2 in 2023, and losing 1-2 in 2021.
Saturday’s win, which came in front of a lively home crowd, left the Pretoria school with seven wins, four draws, and six losses so far this season.
Affies’ Head of Hockey, Colin Mendoza, beaming with pride, credited his team’s preparation and resilience for their victory: “We started with the first team last weekend, with two long training sessions, working off the rust a bit,” he shared. “This week, we focused on rebuilding connections during training, and rather than obsessing over Maritzburg, we worked hard on the weak points we identified.”
A video analysis session on Thursday sparked a shift in the mindset of his players, reckoned Mendoza. “It became very clear to the boys that we felt this could be the year we beat them,” he said.
Matchday began with mixed emotions. A loss for the Affies’ u14A team brought some nerves, but a win by the u16A team lifted the supporters’ energy.
“The atmosphere after that was electric,” Mendoza recalled. “The schoolboys and spectators started to fill the pavilion, and there was a real sense of excitement.”
From the first whistle, Affies hit their stride. Incredibly, they forged a 3-0 advantage through goals from captain Johan Pieterse, Gawie de Kock, and Rudolf Thiart. Maritzburg College, though, is renowned for the school’s never-say-die spirit and they capitalised on a yellow card to claw back two quick goals. Affies, though, held on for a cherished victory.
“We knew that we needed a good start. Keeping a clean sheet in the first quarter was our first goal,” said Mendoza.
“Going 3-0 up was very exciting and the boys started to believe. When Maritzburg came back strong, we didn’t crumble. Affies boys never stop fighting, and that showed in the final minutes.”
The final whistle confirmed a long-awaited and hard-fought victory.
“This is the first time we have beaten their first team,” Mendoza said proudly. “It’s a big step for the Affies’ hockey programme.”
