Day one: Recap of the Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament
The third edition of the Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament kicked off in Kimberley on Thursday, with the Sol Plaatje University hosting the high-quality action on three fields.
The level of competition continues to escalate and this year leading football-playing schools from around South Africa have their sights set on dethroning HTS Louis Botha, who is aiming to claim the title for a third year in succession in 2024.
However, the defending champions showed on day one that they were well-prepared and ready to take on any challengers. In their, first match, Louis Botha triumphed 4-1 over Dale College, who were the runners-up of the East London High Schools Football League in the 2023 season.
It was a tough first day for Dale, who are making their second appearance at the Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament. They also went down 0-2 to Navalsig High.
Louis Botha continued their dominance, meanwhile, adding a 5-1 win over Potchefstroom High School for Boys to their earlier success. With a maximum points’ haul of six points on the opening day, they made a case that they remain the team to beat.
They play their third and last game of the group stages against Navalsig High at 11:00 on Friday morning.
Day two of the competition features the final group games, which will determine the knockout matchups.
One of the most interesting of the last group stage matches on Friday is likely to be the showdown between Maritzburg College and Clapham High. Both have already secured their spots in the knockout stages and will finish either first or second in the pool, depending on the outcome of their showdown.
Known for their unique style of play, Clapham, which is a feeder school to Mamelodi Sundowns, will have to deal with College’s high pressing and composed on-the-ball play, which should deliver an intriguing battle.
In their first game, Maritzburg College triumphed 2-1 over Northwood School, and they replicated that score in their second outing against Blinkklip High.
Northwood’s fortunes took a turn for the worse in their second match when they suffered a 0-5 defeat against Clapham, which effectively took them out of the competition.
RESULTS
Kimberley Boys’ High 5-0 St Benedict’s College
Louis Botha 4-1 Dale College
Clapham High 2-1 Blinkklip High
Emang Mmogo 3-1 Paul Roos Gymnasium
Virginia High 5-0 Benny Sports Academy
Wildeklawer Academy 1-0 Selborne College
Navalsig High 5-0 Potchefstroom High School for Boys
Maritzburg College 2-1 Northwood School
Norkem Park High 2-1 Glenwood High
Grey College 4-0 Brebner High
Louis Botha 5-1 Potchefstroom High School for Boys
Navalsig High 2-0 Dale College
St Benedict’s College 3-3 Selborne College
Kimberley Boys’ High 0-0 Wildeklawer Academy
Clapham 5-0 Northwood
Maritzburg College 2-1 Blinkklip High
Paul Roos Gymnasium 1-1 Norkem Park High
Emang Mmogo 0-0 Glenwood High
