Sodbury High School lifts ISSA Soccer Festival title
Sodbury High School won the annual u19 International School of South Africa (ISSA) Soccer Festival on Sunday, defeating Mmabatho High School 1-0 in the final after three days of exhilarating competition.
The festival featured some of the top schools from the Mafikeng and Johannesburg regions, and it also attracted entrants from Zimbabwe’s Amai Mugabe and Botswana’s Gaborone International, who tested their skills against some of the best local talent at the festival.
In the gold medal match, Sodbury High School defeated Mmabatho High School in a tight contest, scoring the only goal of the game to be crowned the champions.
Both finalists, Sodbury High School and Mmabatho High School, advanced to the finals after impressive semifinal victories on Sunday. Mmabatho defeated Golf View Combined School in a dramatic penalty shootout, winning 5-4 after a 1-1 draw in regular time. Sodbury, meanwhile, enjoyed a more convincing route to the final, beating Alma Mater International School 3-1 in their final-four match.
After missing out on the title game, Alma Mater and Golf View met in the bronze final. It belonged to Alma Mater, who delivered a commanding performance to record a decisive 4-0 win.
At the end of the festival, the event’s standout players were recognised. Rodgers Mano, from Alma Mater, was accorded the tournament’s highest honour by being named the Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Denzel Bauti, who was an excellent last line of defence for Sodbury, was named the Best Goalkeeper, while his teammate, Shepherd Gono, excelled at the opposite end of the field and claimed the Top Goalscorer accolade.
Phatshimo Mogorosi, from Mmabatho High School, was named the Best Defender.
The King’s School West Rand (TKSWR), which entered two squads into the competition, received the Most Disciplined Team award for their exemplary sportsmanship.
The Most Spirited Team award went the way of Kitsong School for their relentless effort on the field, while Samuel Centenary Academy was named the Best Dressed Team.
RESULTS
Friday, 28 March
Pool A
ISSA 3-0 Mafikeng
Excited United 5-0 TKSWR Team B
Pool B
TKSWR Team A 2-0 Sol Plaatje Secondary School Team A
Batswana Commercial Secondary School 3-2 Sodbury High School
Pool C
Mmabatho High School 2-1 Amai Mugabe
Alma Mater International School 4-1 Kitsong School
Pool D
Samuel Centenary Academy 4-1 Golf View Combined School
Sol Plaatje Secondary School Team B 3-0 Gaborone International
Saturday, 29 March
Pool A
Mafikeng High 4-0 TKSWR Team B
Mafikeng High 2-0 Excited United
Kitsong School 1-1 ISSA
ISSA 6-0 TSKWR Team B
Pool B
Sodbury High School 1-1 TSKWR Team A
Sodbury High School 8-1 Sol Plaatje Secondary School Team A
Batswana Commercial Secondary School 3-0 Sol Plaatje Secondary School Team A
Batswana Commercial Secondary School 4-1 TSKWR Team A
Pool C
Alma Mater International School 2-2 Amai Mugabe
Kitsong School 3-2 Amai Mugabe
Kitsong School 1-1 Mmabatho High School
Alma Mater International School 3-2 Mmabatho High School
Pool D
Golf View Combined School 0-0 Sol Plaatje Secondary School Team B
Golf View Combined School 7-0 Gaborone International
Samuel Centenary Academy 0-0 Gaborone International
Sol Plaatje Secondary School 1-0 Samuel Centenary Academy
Quarterfinals
Mmabatho High School (4) 0-0 (1)
Golf View Combined School 2-1 Batswana Commercial Secondary School
Alma Mater International School 2-1 ISSA
Sodbury High School 1-0 Sol Plaatje Secondary School
Playoff 1
Amai Mugabe 2-0 Mafikeng High
Playoff 2
TKSWR Team A 2-0 Gaborone International
Playoff 3
Kitsong School 3-1 TKSWR Team B
Playoff 4
Samuel Centenary Academy 1-0 Sol Plaatje Secondary School Team A
Sunday
Semifinals
Mmabatho High School (5) 1-1 (4) Golf View Combined School
Sodbury High School 3-1 Alma Mater International School
Playoff 5/8
Batswana Commercial Secondary School 2-0 Excited United (Forfeit)
ISSA (4) 0-0 (3) Sol Plaatje Secondary School Team B
Playoff 9/12
TKSWR Team A 2-0 Amai Mugabe (Forfeit)
Samuel Centenary Academy 2-1 Kitsong School
Playoff 13/16
Gaborone International 2-0 Mafikeng High
TKSWR Team B 2-0 Sol Plaatje Secondary School (Forfeit)
Bronze Final
Alma Mater International School 4-0 Golf View Combined School
Final
Sodbury High School 1-0 Mmabatho High School
Final Standings
- Sodbury High School
- Mmbatho High School
- Alma Mater International School
- Golf View Combined School
- ISSA
- Batswana Commercial Secondary School
- Sol Plaatje Secondary School Team B
- Excited United
- Samuel Centenary Academy
- TKSWR Team A
- Kitsong School
- Amai Mugabe
- Gaborone International
- TKSWR Team B
- Mafikeng High
- Sol Plaatje Secondary School Team A
Awards
MVP – Rodgers Mano (Alma Mater International School)
Best Goalkeeper Denzel Bauti – (Sodbury High School)
Top Goal scorer – Shepherd Gono (Sodbury High School)
Best Defender – Phatshimo Mogorosi (Mmabatho High School)
Best Dressed – Samuel Centenary Academy
Most Disciplined – TKSWR
Most Spirited – Kitsong School
