KZN Coastal and Inland League titles on the line
The finals of the Mancosa KwaZulu-Natal High Schools Football Association (KZNHSFA) Second- Term Coastal and Inland Leagues take place this week.
One of the finals is already in the books, with Brettonwood High School claiming the Coastal C-League title on Friday to earn promotion to the B-League next season.
KZN Coastal A-League
On Tuesday, in the Coastal A-League, Westville Boys’ High, beaten in the 2024 final by Glenwood High, will be aiming to go one step further this time around. They last won the title in 2022, with the Green Machine being crowned the champion in the following two years.
They face a determined and youthful Hillcrest High, who are through to the title game for the first time in their history. Their ascension has been one of the most exciting stories of the season.
If Hillcrest is to go all the way, they’ll have to take care of Dayyan Fudu, the Westville forward, who has been deadly for the Griffin in front of goal.
Hillcrest High’s Ayedan Whitby and Bayanda Ntombela are also among the players to keep an eye on in the final. They’ve been at the forefront of their team’s challenge.
There are several layers to the storylines leading up to the title deciding game. Westville has the advantage of experience in playing finals, but matches are played on the field and not on paper and Hillcrest High will be eager to make history.
The action will be live on the SuperSport Schools App.
KZN Inland A-League
In the Inland A-League final, Maritzburg College, which has played in every league final since 2018, will once again be chasing the title when they tackle Carter High on Barns Field, at College, on Wednesday.
In 2024, it was Carter who came out on top, with their captain Ntuthuko Mnguni playing a pivotal role and scoring the only goal of the contest. He was named the man of the match.
The College vs Carter rivalry is the biggest in the region and with a trophy at stake the tension will be dialled up to 10 on Wednesday.
While they are both well-coached and outstanding teams in their own right, finals can often turn on the performances of a single player, as was the case with Carter’s Mnguni last year. College’s Mazithi Qasha, a prolific goal scorer, could be one to watch in the title decider.
Other finals
In other contests for silverware, Queensburgh High hosts Durban High School (DHS) in the Coastal B-League final on Thursday at 15:30.
The home team topped the Coastal B-League table with 17 points, posting an undefeated record of five wins and two draws. DHS was second on the log with 14 points, just one point ahead of Grosvenor Boys’ High.
The final of the Inland B-League should be fascinating. ML Sultan had put together a run of six wins on the trot until they faced Northbury Park last Thursday, with Northbury claiming a 3-2 win to book their place in the title game against the same opponents.
With promotion to the Inland A-League on the line, there is plenty to play for and, coming off their only loss of their campaign, ML Sultan will be chomping at the bit to reverse their most recent result.
In the final of the Inland C-League, Umvuzo takes on Michaelhouse for promotion to the Inland B-League in 2026.
Umvuzo heads into the contest as the favourite. With 16 points after their round-robin matches, they doubled up second-placed Michaelhouse’s eight. That, of course, counts for nothing in the final. Only the result will determine which team moves up next year.
FIXTURES
Tuesday, 10 June: Coastal A-League Final
Queensburgh High School
Field 1
15:30 – Westville Boys’ High vs Hillcrest High
Wednesday, 11 June: Inland A-League Final
Barns Field (Maritzburg College)
15:30 – Maritzburg College vs Carter High School
Thursday, 12 June: Coastal B-League Final
Queensburgh High School
Field 1
15:30 – Queensburgh High School vs Durban High School (DHS)
Thursday, 12 June: Inland B-League Final
Alexandra High School
15:30 – ML Sultan vs Northbury
Friday, 13 June: Inland C-League Final
AB Jackson
15:30 – Umvuzo vs Michaelhouse
