The teen brigade have what it takes

ON AN exciting final day of action the Aloes U13 soccer team clinched the B division title and the Buffalo City Municipality U13 soccer team claimed the C division title of the Bill Stewart Interprovincial soccer tournament at Camp Discovery in Limpopo yesterday afternoon.

The two Border teams have been in battling it out in the annual interprovincial tournament over the past five days, with the BCM side playing as the Border A team and the Aloes as the Border B’s.

In the end the BCM team won their final match of the tournament 2-1 against West Rand to seal the C division title, while the Aloes lost their final match 3-2 against the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Impi, but had still done enough previously to take the B division title.

“I am very proud of the guys, both teams started very slow, but they grew into the tournament as it went on and eventually picked up momentum to come out on top,” said Border U13 soccer coach Deeran Govind.

“They were playing against some quality sides that belong to big soccer academies, so one of the challenges was big match temperament, but the guys did fantastic in the end to bring home two trophies.”

Eighteen teams in total took part in the tournament, which kicked off on Saturday morning and after the group stages were completed on Sunday afternoon, the teams were split into three sections, the gold (A), silver (B) and bronze (C) sections to compete for each divisions title.

During the group stages both Border teams had mixed results, ending with the BCM team going into the C section due to poor goal difference, while a solid showing for the Aloes team meant they would contest the B division.

Despite the disappointment of having to battle it out in the C section, the BCM team impressed by beating Southern Gauteng, who won the tournament in 2014 and 2015 and were pre-tournament favourites again this year, in the group stage.

“History has been made,” said Govind.

“The BCM A team has just beaten Southern Gauteng for the first time in the history of this tournament, what a comeback.

“Well done to the team for keeping it all together and for their never give up attitude, that victory alone has made this tournament a great success. Well done to the boys.”

In the C division BCM were then the clear favourites as they swept aside all before them, beating Tshwane 4-1, Limpopo 5-1 and South KZN 5-0, and then finishing it off on the final day beating East Rand 4-2 and then West Rand to claim the Bronze trophy.

For the Aloes they won three of their five B section matches, which in the end was enough to top the division and take the Silver trophy.

They beat Protea 3-1, lost to Pretoria 2-0 and then played superbly to beat 2016 champs KZN Warriors 1-0, before beating KZN Midrand 3-1 on the final day and then losing their last game.

“We, as coaches, management and East London, can be proud of our players for displaying good football, balanced with impeccable manners and sportsmanship on and off the field,” said Govind.

The teams left Camp Discovery in Limpopo yesterday afternoon and are expected to arrive back in East London early this morning.