What surprises await on the final day of the KZN football leagues?
After six weeks of action, the Mancosa KwaZulu-Natal High Schools Football Association (KZNHSFA) Coastal and Inland Second-Term Leagues have reached their final round of round-robin matches.
Games are scheduled at Queensburgh High School, Barns Field (Maritzburg College), and Alexandra High School on Tuesday.
Catch the Coastal and Inland action LIVE on the SuperSport Schools App
Coastal A-League
There’s everything to play for the in Coastal A-League, with the top four teams – Westville Boys’ High School, Hillcrest High, Glenwood High and Port Shepstone – set to meet one another at Queensburgh High School. The winners will secure a place in the final. Of course, any draws would alter that simple permutation.
The 2024/25 football season has been characterised by underdog stories and fairytales, exemplified by Tottenham Hotspur. They finished a lowly 17th in the English Premier League, but they also won their first title in 17 years, lifting the Europa League in May. Additionally, Newcastle United ended a 70-year major trophy drought by winning the Carabao Cup.
Closer to home, Pyramids FC, which was founded in 2008, defeated Mamelodi Sundowns 3-2 on aggregate score on Sunday, following a 2-1 victory over Sundowns at the 30 June Stadium, to win the CAF Champions League title, Africa’s most prestigious club competition.
In the Mancosa KZNHSFA Coastal A-League, there exists an underdog aiming to pulling off an extraordinary feat. Hillcrest High entered the 2025 football season with great enthusiasm, under the guidance of coach Cayle Marillier and Head of Football at Hillcrest High, Nsindiso Majola. They’ve made their mark.
The technical team at Hillcrest High has been working diligently to reverse previous misfortunes and now they have an opportunity to turn the improbable into reality. They’ll be up against Port Shepstone High on Tuesday, aiming to become the first team from Hillcrest High to qualify for the Coastal A-League final.
Ahead of Tuesday’s matches, Hillcrest High lies second on the log, with 15 points, tied with Glenwood High, who are in third place. Port Shepstone, in fourth, has 12 points. The goal difference between the teams in second, third, and fourth is minimal, so anything is possible.
Westville, in first place with 16 points, is set to face Glenwood. They previously met in the 2024 final, with Glenwood claiming the win. Two years earlier, when they met for the title, Westville was victorious.
Should Glenwood win and make it through to the final, they’ll have an opportunity to hoist the title for a third season in succession.
Inland A-League
In the Inland A-League, both Maritzburg College and Carter High School will play in their final round-robin games free from any pressure. They’ve already secured their spots in the Inland A-League final, which will be played at College’s Barns Field.
On Tuesday, the Red, Black, and White takes on Haythorne Secondary, who are bottom of the Inland A-League standings. Haythorne is in urgent need of a victory. If they don’t win, they face the prospect of relegation to the Inland B-League.
A win over College would secure three points for Haythorne, which would take their season’s tally to five points. They would also have to hope that Newton, who have four points, goes downs to Edendale Tech High School at Barns Field.
Alexandra High School hosts the finalists and defending champions, Carter High, while, in another game at Alex, Ixopo Secondary takes on Linpark.
FIXTURES
Coastal A
Queensburgh High School
Field 1
15:10 – Northwood School vs Pinetown Boys’ High
16:15 – Hillcrest High vs Port Shepstone
Field 2
15:10 – Bechet vs Empangeni
16:15: Glenwood vs Westville Boys’ High
Inland A
Barns Field (Maritzburg College)
15:00 – Edendale vs Newton
16:05 – Maritzburg College vs Haythorne
Alexandra High School
15:00 – Alexandra High School vs Carter High
16:05 – Linpark vs Ixopo
