Jeppe shines, Selborne College wins East London League
Another week of captivating football unfolded throughout South Africa, with Jeppe High School for Boys, Grey College and Northwood School maintaining their impressive performances.
KZN: Mancosa Cowie Cup
Alexandra High School, who weren’t at their best during Mancosa KZNHSFA Second-Term League, is one of the sides that has picked up their performances and executed a turnaround in the third term.
During the week, Alex pulled off a 2-1 win over Port Shepstone High to advance to the semifinals of the Mancosa Cowie Cup.
Carter High School, who lost out to their local rival Maritzburg College in the KZNHSFA Inland A-League final, defeated Greytown 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw in regulation time of their quarterfinals’ clash.
Meanwhile, Northwood’s astonishing renaissance continued with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Westville Boys’ High in a derby fixture, while they advanced in the Cowie Cup after a 2-0 win over Queensburgh High.
One quarterfinal match is outstanding, with Maritzburg College, who won the Plate in the Kloof High School National Football Tournament and claimed the KZNHSFA Inland A-League title earlier this year, set to face the KZN Coastal C-League champions, Brettonwood this week.
The winner will take on Northwood in the semi-finals, while it’s Alexandra versus Carter in an all-Pietermaritzburg clash in the other semi.
Selborne College wins East London High Schools Football League
Selborne College’s resilience and determination were rewarded in the B Block BWFLA High Schools League, also known as the East London High Schools Football League, which started in mid-March and concluded on 1 September.
They topped the table with 47 points, comfortably clear of the defending champion, Stutterheim High, who ended their campaign in second place, with 39 points.
In the league’s last match, Hudson Park High signed off with a 2-1 win over George Randell High 2-1.
Free State: Grey College lifts the Regional League
In the Magnificent Wednesday Football League, the semi-finals were contested on Monday, with Grey College surviving a tricky assignment by beating Navalsig High 2-0 to reach the final.
They took on Grassland Secondary School, 3-0 winners over Hodisa Technical Secondary School in the semifinals, for the title and it was Grey who captured the silverware after a 3-1 win.
The Bloemfontein school is also preparing for the draw of the annual Nedbank Grey College Soccer Tournament, which will be hosted at Grey on Wednesday, 10 September. The prestigious tournament takes place in October.
In 2024, St Stithians College successfully defended the title, defeating Robinvale High 2-1 in the final.
In Gauteng, King Edward VII School (KES) pulled off a 1-0 victory over Parktown Boys’ High on Wednesday. The following day, Jeppe High School for Boys continued their strong season with a 4-1 victory over Fourways High School.
Jeppe’s been on a good run, building on an already strong 2024 campaign, which earned them an invitation to the 2025 Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament where they went up against some of the finest teams in the country, with Virginia High School claiming the title.
Earlier this year, in an exclusive interview with SuperSport Schools Plus, Kevin McCarthy, the Head of Football at Jeppe, discussed the school’s growing football programme and the success it has brought.
Jeppe’s excellence is visible across all age groups, which was recently underlined at the St Andrew’s College Football Cup, in Makhanda, where Jeppe’s u15 team secured the junior title, while the u19 crown went to Bishops Diocesan College.
In July, during the Association of Public Boys’ Schools of South Africa (APBSA) Football Festival, Jeppe’s first team was one of the standout teams, concluding the event undefeated with two victories and two draws.
Additionally, at the recent St David’s Marist Inanda Nedbank Challenge, Jeppe performed admirably but was eliminated in the semifinals and also fell short in the bronze playoff, losing 0-1 to KES. Last week, they scored a decisive win over KES.
Following the tournament at St David’s, McCarthy said that, overall, Jeppe delivered a decent showing. “We came 14th last year, so it’s decent progress, even though I believe we could have won it,” he reckoned
In another midweek fixture, in Mpumalanga, Uplands College and Beaulieu College settled for a 2-2 draw.
On Saturday, Jeppe concluded a flawless week with a 2-0 victory over Pretoria Boys High. Beaulieu College, though, had to settle for a second 2-2 draw, this time against Penryn College.
In an intense clash, St David’s Marist Inanda and KES shared a goalless draw.
St John’s College, who had last played a match in August, returned to the field for a friendly at St Alban’s College. That, too, ended in a draw, 1-1.
In KZN, most of the weekend’s attention was on the Jody Momplé Cup, which Michaelhouse won for a second year in succession. However, Durban High School (DHS), who recently claimed the Raw Cup by defeating Maritzburg College 3-2, returned to the field against Clifton College. School found Clifton’s goalkeeper in fine form, but they battled their way to a 2-0 win.
With many of the 1st XIs in action at Hilton College in the Jody Momplé Cup, the Westville Boys’ High 2nd team scored a 2-0 win over St Charles College, while Maritzburg College’s 2nds won 2-0 against Northwood.
In Makhanda, in the Eastern Cape, St Andrew’s College hosted Mary Waters High School and lost 0-2.
RESULTS
Mancosa KZNHSFA Cowie Cup: Quarterfinals
Alexandra High 2-1 Port Shepstone
Carter High (4) 0-0 (2) Greytown
Northwood 2-0 Queensburgh High
Free State
Magnificent Wednesday Football League Knockout: Semifinals
Monday, 1 September
Grey College 2-0 Navalsig High
Grassland Secondary School 3-0 Hodisa Technical Secondary
Final
Friday, 5 September
Grey College 3-1 Hodisa Technical Secondary
East London High Schools Football League
Wednesday, 3 September
Hudson Park 2-1 George Randell High
Gauteng
Wednesday, 3 September
KES 1-0 Parktown Boys’ High
Thursday, 4 September
Jeppe 4-1 Fourways High School
Mpumalanga
Friday, 5 September
Uplands College 2-2 Beaulieu College
Gauteng
Saturday, 6 September
Jeppe 2-0 Pretoria Boys High
Penryn College 2-2 Beaulieu College
St David’s 0-0 KES
St John’s College 1-1 St Alban’s College
KwaZulu-Natal
Saturday, 6 September
Durban High School 2-0 Clifton College
2nd Teams
Westville Boys’ High 2-0 St Charles College
Maritzburg College 2-0 Northwood
Eastern Cape
Mary Waters 2-0 St Andrew’s College
