Dale out to put on a Reunion show against Queen’s
When Dale College scored a controversial 3-2 victory over Queen’s College at the Chris Harker AstroTurf in Komani last year, many in the Border region said it was a fluke.
That’s because Dale’s captain, Sibongisile Nzima, in the opinion of some, struck the winning goal from outside the opponent’s circle.
After minutes of deliberating, the umpires awarded the goal, much to the dissatisfaction of the Queen’s supporters surrounding the turf.
A couple of months later, Queen’s visited Qonce, hunting revenge on Dale’s annual Pink Day in support of breast cancer. It was the final match of the season for both teams.
Again, the Komani side came out on the wrong end of the result, suffering their second straight loss against the boys in red and black, a narrow 0-1 defeat.
“Beating Queen’s twice last year was an excellent feeling because people doubted us,” Dale skipper Sibongisile Nzima told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“We had to prove them wrong. Last year we said, ‘Beating Queen’s the first time was so nice we had to do it twice’.
“It’s my last time playing Queen’s at home, as well as my last Reunion at Dale, so winning on Friday would certainly be memorable.”
When Nzima led Dale to those two victories against their biggest rivals in 2024, he co-captained the team with Amangile Songelwa.
Songelwa matriculated at the end of the year, and Nzima took over sole possession of the captain’s armband. It’s been a tricky season for Dale. They produced a mixed bag of results at both the Tony Godding Festival and the Founders Festival.
“We began the season with some good and bad results but, along the way, we developed some good chemistry among one other,” he reflected.
“With that being said, heading into this game against Queen’s, I am confident that the boys will show up.
“The Reunion is the biggest fixture on our calendar, with Old Dalians from around the world not only coming back to celebrate but to witness the great legacy they left behind.”
Dale was last in match action in late April when they took on Grey High School in Gqeberha and suffered a 1-5 loss.
Bouncing back in front of their passionate supporters will be the goal, and Nzima has identified areas he and his teammates need to work on in preparation for Friday’s match.
“I think we need to polish up our short corners and, if we execute every set piece we have practiced, then it will be a long day at the park for our rivals.
“‘Believe’ has been our motto for the year and going into this game with the right mindset and never giving up until the last whistle will surely give the College a game to remember.”
The reunion clash between Dale and Queen’s College takes place at the King AstroTurf and pushback is at 16:00.
Other Matches
The clash in Qonce will be followed by some mouthwatering fixtures elsewhere in the Eastern Cape.
In Gqeberha, Grey High School, on their Reunion Weekend, hosts Cape Town’s Wynberg Boys’ High, while Pearson welcomes St Andrew’s College.
Hoërskool Framesby is at home against Hudson Park High School, while Woodridge College travels to George to face York High School.
In East London, Selborne College has a break this weekend after their exertions at the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield, but Cambridge High hosts Merrifield College in a mid-week clash. Stirling High will be in action on both Friday and Saturday, taking on Merrifield before tackling Hangklip High School.
FIXTURES
Friday, 9 May
15:50 – Hoërskool Framesby vs Hudson Park High School
16:00 – Dale College vs Queen’s College
18:00 – Pearson High vs St Andrew’s College
18:15 – Stirling High vs Merrifield College
18:20 – Grey High School vs Wynberg Boys’ High
19:00 – York High vs Woodridge College
Saturday, 10 May
11:00 -Stirling High vs Hangklip High School
