Highlands Park retains u19 GDL title
Highlands Park’s u19 head coach, Sifiso Mnguni, and his team lifted the 2024 Gauteng Development League (GDL) trophy on the weekend, following a 3-0 victory over East Rand Athletic Club.
Heading into the contest, Mnguni and his young troops were under immense pressure given that they were level on points with coach Surprise Moriri‘s Mamelodi Sundowns team.
Ahead of the final round of fixtures, Moriri’s team enjoyed a superior goal difference to Mnguni’s side, which saw the Brazilians enter their final fixture sitting atop the standings.
For the first time since the first half of the season, Sundowns had taken over at the top, with Highlands Park, who had set the pace since then, ceding the position.
It did not help Mnguni and Highlands Park when bad weather and a wet field led to the postponement of the last fixture of their 2024 campaign a week earlier. However, the “Lions of the North” dealt with the high stakes and the nerves that accompanied the postponement comfortably and walked away with the trophy.
After a thrilling end to a hard-fought and entertaining GDL season, the top three ended as they had done in 2023, with Highlands Park crowned the champions, Mamelodi Sundowns finishing in second place, and coach David Mathebula‘s Kaizer Chiefs having to settle for third.
Highlands Park’s title was confirmed when Mamelodi Sundowns met Kaizer Chiefs at Naturena on the weekend, with the teams effectively neutralising one another and sharing a 1-1 draw, which ensured that the title remained in the hands of the defending champions..
In the u17 division, Mamelodi Sundowns was confirmed as the league winner. Coach Selekedi Mogale‘s charges beat Sevens Academy 4-3 on the weekend, courtesy of a brace from Ntokozo Madondo and further goals from Thando Singo and Kagiso Maloka.
2024 GDL League Winners
Highlands Park – u19
Mamelodi Sundowns – u17
Mamelodi Sundowns – u15
Kaizer Chiefs – u13
