PMSS coach Tshepo Boee raves about Waterstone Super Cup
The annual Waterstone College Super Cup concluded this week, with Curro Thatchfield and Curro Wilgeheuwel claiming the boys’ and girls’ titles in the u19 competition.
Curro Thatchfield scored a 2-1 win over Curro Wilgeheuwel in the boys’ final on Monday.
There was title-winning success for Curro Wilgeheuwel, nonetheless, with their girls’ team beating Meridian Cosmo City 2-1 to be crowned the champions.
One of the interested spectators at the Waterstone Super Cup was Tshepo Boee, the coaches’ coordinator and u19 coach of Meridian Cosmo City. He was impressed by what he saw, saying the event was well organised and smoothly coordinated.
“There are referees, and all the fields are clearly marked. The coordination of the tournament appears to be very effective, which is beneficial for school football,” he stated.
Boee said well-structured programmes are crucial. They attract more marketing and increase support, while also attracting top schools to be a part of initiatives.
“This, in turn, fosters competitiveness within the programme,” he explained. “If the initiative lacks proper organisation, it will not be taken seriously. For players to perform at their best, a solid structure must be in place.”
Meridian Cosmo City’s u19 team, which also participated in Waterstone Super Cup, was in action in the Curro Halala Cup earlier this season. Although their Curro Halala Cup campaign didn’t go as they had hoped – they made an early exit – Boee applauded the initiative, but said the competition, in its first year, can learn lessons and make improvements.
Among those improvements is taking on the scourge of football in South Africa, ensuring that players meet the age requirements. Boee said player documentation needs to be thoroughly verified.
He also said he felt schools with well-maintained fields should be permitted to host their own matches. Furthermore, he suggested that in the first two opening games of the Curro Halala Cup, it would be better to have one away fixture and one home fixture.
“It’s important that somehow they avoid centralising the games in the first round and the second round of the Curro Halala Cup,” he said. “Yes, the main tournament can be centralised. Allow schools to organise their own games, and to coordinate their own games.”
Part of his reasoning was that schools need to be self-sufficient and learn how to organise events. Match commissioners and referees could still be appointed by the tournament organisers.
Experience is crucial for players’ development, Boee, said. Exposure to various environments and the challenge of playing away, when it is not only the opposing team, but the supporters of the rival school in the stands, to deal with, offer up meaningful learning experiences.
Meridian Cosmo City is one of the schools that has greatly benefited from its association with the Pitso Mosimane Soccer Schools (PMSS).
In recent years, Boee noted that at Meridian girls engage in football more than ever before, and there is increased interest due to the PMSS.
“At Meridian Cosmo, we have u8 up to u17 girls and they all love football and they are teachable. That is why they are improving day in and day out,” he said.
“It’s good to see them enjoying the game. At one stage we never had a team that would have soccer boots – maybe two or three [players] – but if you check now, everyone else is well kept. These players have fallen in love with the game.”
Boee stated that PMSS arrived at an opportune moment for Meridian Cosmo. “Firstly, we needed to recognise that within Meridian Cosmo City, there existed football, specifically school football, which was played but not adequately maintained.”
Since the arrival of PMSS, he said, the Meridian Cosmo community has actively participated in the initiative, with parents supporting their children by attending matches and practices. That involvement instils confidence in both the children and the coaches, Boee said.
“It says, they [the parents] trust us with their kids.
“It’s very difficult nowadays to trust a person with your child, because a lot is happening, but it gives us courage to say ‘guys, let’s do it right’.”
“If we fail to execute it properly, we will not provide accurate information to the younger generation.
“Above all, it encourages everyone. Even the children affirm that they will strive to excel when they notice their mother present.
“It brings a smile to everyone. We are pleased to witness the support from all, which instils confidence in us at PMSS to exert an even greater effort,” he concluded.
While neither of Meridian Cosmo City’s teams won the Waterstone Super Cup, it served as a litmus test, demonstrating the progress the school has made under the guidance of PMSS in the past three years, during which is had competed at the highest level.
In the Waterstone College Super Cup, the girls’ team made it all the way through to the final, while the boys’ team was eliminated in the semi-finals by the eventual champions, Curro Wilgeheuwel, exiting 2-3 after a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
They subsequently won in the bronze playoff, scoring an impressive 3-2 victory over Curro Soshanguve, a team that has been performing well in other competitions, including the Curro Halala Cup.
RESULTS
Boys’ Competition
Semi-finals
Curro Thatchfield 1-0 Curro Soshanguve
Curro Wilgeheuwel (3) 1-1 (2) Meridian Cosmo City
Boys’ 3rd Place
Meridian Cosmo City 3-2 Curro Soshanguve
Boys’ Final
Curro Thatchfield 2-1 Curro Wilgeheuwel
Girls’ Competition
Semi-finals
Curro Wilgeheuwel (4) 1-1 (3) Curro Protea Glen
Meridian Cosmo City 3-1 Waterstone College
Girls’ 3rd Place
Curro Protea Glen (3) 1-1 (2) Waterstone College
Girls’ Final
Curro Wilgeheuwel 2-1 Meridian Cosmo City
