Hilton College hoists Primo Big 10 trophy
Hilton College made the most of hosting the Primo Big 10 – the annual football tournament featuring KwaZulu-Natal’s top 10 all boys’ schools – by lifting the prestigious trophy for the first time on Zungu Field, on Sunday. It was a victory they fully deserved.
After their 2-0 win in the final over Northwood, they’ll join Michaelhouse, Maritzburg College, and Glenwood in having their name engraved on the trophy.
A strong work rate, coupled with a sharp attacking edge, took Hilton to three wins on Sunday – in the quarterfinals, semi-finals, and final – much to the joy of a large crowd of home supporters.
Along the way, in their three playoff games, they scored seven goals while conceding only two.
Their day of delight began routinely enough with a 2-0 win over Kearsney College. Their semi-final, against Westville Boys’ High, who had ousted the defending champion, Glenwood, in the quarterfinals after a penalty shootout, was anything but.
End-to-end, it raised the adrenaline on and off the field, drawing the crowd into the contest. Hilton’s supporters sang loudly and proudly when their team went 3-1 up before a late goal from Westville ensured a thrilling finish. It ended 3-2 and with that the Mancosa KZN Coastal A-League champion was eliminated.
Hilton, then, faced Northwood for the silverware.
The Knights impressed throughout the tournament. Well organised, hard-working, and tough as teak, they were made to grind out two wins on Sunday to reach the title decider.
Their metamorphosis, from a team in trouble in the second term’s KZN Coastal A-League, to a cohesive, dangerous unit has been hugely impressive.
In the quarterfinals, Northwood met the KZN Inland A-League champion, Maritzburg College, with whom they had drawn 1-1 in pool play on Saturday. There was little give in either defence. This time, they shared a goalless draw, which sent the match to a penalty shootout.
When College captain CJ Sukraj pulled off a save of Northwood’s very first spot kick, the Red, Black, and White appeared to be on their way to the semi-finals, but the Knights kept their cool, battled their way back, and eventually won in sudden death, taking a 7-6 victory.
In the semi-finals, they took on Michaelhouse, a team that had found the back of the net regularly, led by the tournament’s top goal scorer, Asande Nkosi, who struck six times in total. ‘House had downed DHS 3-0 in the quarterfinals.
There was little to separate the sides, but the Knights, with typical grit, found the goal that mattered to book their place in the title game.
Their forwards, as they did throughout the event, impressed with their defensive work, putting huge pressure on the opposition’s defenders and making exiting from the back a challenge.
With the title on the line, a fantastic, highly motivated team effort spurred Hilton to victory in the final, with striker Efe Ozcan stealing the spotlight.
On Saturday, the anniversary of the passing of his father, he had been desperate to pay tribute to his dad by scoring. He did, from the penalty spot, in a 1-1 draw with DHS. In the title decider, he continued to do his late father proud.
The first goal was all about Ozcan’s hustle. Closing down the Northwood defence, he turned over possession deep in the opposition’s territory before racing into the box where he fired off the opening goal.
Wheeling away, he charged towards the large gathering of Hilton supporters to join them in an enthusiastic celebration.
Then, in the second half, Ozcan pretty much sealed the deal by emphatically converting a penalty to make it 2-0. From there, Hilton managed Northwood’s attacking efforts well.
Their midfielders put in massive shifts to close down the Knights, while the home side also continued to threaten, especially down the flanks, where they showed off plenty of pace and skill.
With the silverware secured, Efe Ozcan was a popular choice for Man of the Match.
In the playoff for ninth, Clifton College fell behind against St Charles, who ripped them apart with a spectacular defence-splitting long ball, which totally exposed the Clifton ‘keeper.
Clifton, though, looked like different team to the outfit that had struggled on day one, and they deservedly equalised off a rebound to earn a share of the spoils.
RESULTS
Quarterfinals
Hilton 2-0 Kearsney
Northwood (7) 0-0 (6) Maritzburg College
Michaelhouse 3-0 DHS
Glenwood (1) 0-0 (3) Westville
9th/10th
Clifton 1-1 St Charles
Semi-finals
Hilton 3-2 Westville
Northwood 1-0 Michaelhouse
Final
Hilton 2-0 Northwood
- Clifton wins two KZN Top 10 titles, overall honours to Kearsney - 2025-10-28
- Hockly hauls Hilton to win against DHS - 2025-10-26
- White bats Northwood to win, Kearsney victorous at Glenwood - 2025-10-26
