Glenwood are double champions after Primo Big 10 win
Glenwood High School, after claiming the KZN High Schools Football Association Coastal 2nd Term League title for a second year in succession, made it a double on Sunday at Hilton College by capturing the Primo Big 10 honours.
It was a case of third time lucky for the Green Machine, who had twice before been beaten in the final.
This time, with a hard-nosed, refuse-to-buckle effort, they won, beating Durban High School (DHS) 1-0 in the title-decider, thanks to a superb finish on the counterattack from Ukwazi Dludla.
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Glenwood demonstrated grit and a hard-working team ethic on their way to the silverware, and they did it the hard way.
Their challenge began in Group B with a rematch of the 2023 final against Maritzburg College. The Red, Black and White struck first in that match, but Glenwood clawed their way back into the contest and eventually won it 2-1.
Job done? Not quite. A 0-1 setback against Clifton College left the Green Machine on the back foot. They needed a win against DHS in a cross-pool game to ensure their passage to the quarterfinals. They got it, winning 2-0.
Then, in the quarterfinals, they went a goal down to Northwood after Owami Maduna curled a brilliant shot across the goalkeeper and into the far corner. Alakhe Mdluli found a reply, however, and Glenwood went on to scrape a 5-4 win from the penalty spot.
DHS, meanwhile, took on Clifton in the quarterfinals. Their Durban neighbours caused the Horseflies one or two scares, but DHS came away with a 2-0 win in the end.
Michaelhouse got the better of Hilton in a battle of traditional rivals in the last eight, with a sensational rasping drive into the goalkeeper’s bottom right-hand corner from Jason Brufau proving to be a deserving winner.
In an eagerly anticipated showdown, Westville Boys’ High and Maritzburg College battled it out in the last of the quarterfinal contests.
The Griffin were first onto the scoreboard, with Bayanda Dlamini striking from close range.
Ace predator Mazithi Qasha levelled for College after pouncing on a defensive error and Nzolo Ngcemu then won it with a headed goal back across the ‘keeper.
Before the semi-finals, ninth and tenth places were up for grabs, with Kearsney College facing St Charles.
They played to a goalless draw and, with the matches running slightly behind schedule, they chose not to go to the spot to decide the outcome.
Glenwood had done it the hard way to reach the semis, and that tough route to the final continued when they had to face Maritzburg College again.
Once more, College scored first, and once more Glenwood came back from a goal down to win 2-1.
DHS and Michaelhouse, meanwhile, shared a 1-1 draw, which sent the match to the penalty spot, from which School claimed a 3-2 victory.
In the final, a contest that simmered and threatened to boil over at times, Glenwood coach Khaya Ngwengwe urged his players to keep calm, keep working hard. They would score on the counter, he said. He was proved right when Dludla bagged the winner in the second half.
The man of the match award went to Glenwood’s Sibonelo Phewa, who is also a regular star performer in their 1st XI cricket side.
There was a four-way tie for the Primo Big 10’s top goal scorer, with Mazithi Qasha (Maritzburg College), Tino Hove (Hilton College), Alakhe Mdluli and Ukwazi Dludla (both Glenwood), scoring three goals each.
Results
9th/10th
Kearsney College 0-0 St Charles College
Quarter finals
DHS 2-0 Clifton
Glenwood (5) 1-1 (4) Northwood
Westville 1-2 Maritzburg College
Hilton College 0-1 Michaelhouse
Semi finals
DHS (3) 1-1 (2) Michaelhouse
Maritzburg College 1-2 Glenwood
Final
DHS 0-1 Glenwood
