Unbeaten Western Province captures u13 SASHOC title
Anathi Fukweni fired the Western Province boys’ team to a vital victory, scoring the only goal of the final, to see his side to the u13 SASHOC National Week title, at King Edward VII School, in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
In a tense, close contest, Province edged out Eastern Province 1-0 to complete an unbeaten campaign.
From their opening fixture, it was clear that Western Province was a serious title contender.
They began their title challenge with a hard-fought 1-0 win over KZN Inland, with Joseph Zach opening their tournament account. Later that day, they flexed their attacking muscle in a 5-1 thrashing of Limpopo, which set the tone for what was to come.
On day two, Province continued their excellent form with two very different but equally impressive wins.
They cruised past Northern Gauteng 4-0, showing composure in possession and ruthlessness in the final third.
Later, they were pushed to the limit by a determined Border side, who took an early lead via Mofenyi Ngcobo’s penalty corner. However, Province responded with a championship mentality, levelling only two minutes later through a brilliant field goal from Cayden Roman before Siya van Wyk struck the winner to make it 2-1.
They were at their best in their semifinal encounter against KZN Coastal, delivering a commanding display. Western Province was structurally and defensively sound, and they punished the KZN boys on the counter, running out comfortable 4-0 winners to book their place in the final.
In a tense and tactical title-decider, chances were few and far between. But it was Fukweni’s decisive moment in front of the goal that separated Western Province and Eastern Province and kept Western Province’s clean record intact.
The runner-up, Eastern Province, battled bravely in the final and showcased consistency throughout the tournament. Damain Scott’s side lost only in the title game, and they sneaked a narrow 3-2 win over the hosts, Southern Gauteng, in a shootout in the semi-finals.
Third went to KZN Coastal, who sparkled on their way to the final four. After their loss to Western Province, they bounced back impressively to defeat Southern Gauteng 1-0 to win the bronze medal.
Southerns produced some outstanding performances during an unbeaten run in the group stages. They outplayed Mpumalanga 5-2 in their opener, followed by a convincing 4-0 victory over North West. In their final group match, they downed Boland 1-0.
Then, in the quarterfinals, they handed their neighbours, Eastern Gauteng, a 3-0 defeat. Eastern Province side put a stop to their flawless run in the semifinals, winning in a shootout after regulation time had finished level at 1-1.
Boland completed the top five after beating the Northern Blues 3-0, thanks to goals from Dax Henn, Kwand’okuhle Moletsane and Jay-Ronn Isaacs.
FINAL STANDINGS
- Western Province
- Eastern Province
- KZN Coastal
- Southern Gauteng
- Boland
- Northern Blues
- Eastern Gauteng
- Border
- Mpumalanga
- KZN Inland
- Eden
- Limpopo
- Southern Free State
- North West
- Northern Cape
- Northern Free State
