Clapham seeks Copa glory in Kenya
Tshwane school hunts for Cup of Nations title
Two-time defending champions of the Copa Coca-Cola U15 Schools football tournament Clapham high school, will be jetting off to Kenya for the inaugural Copa Africa Cup of Nations.
The Tshwane-based team will be one of the 12 teams to compete at the Cup of Nations competition. The inaugural tournament brings a new dynamic to the development and unearthing of grassroots football talent in Africa.
The tournament will take place in Kenya from December 10 to 15. Football fans of Nakuru, Kenya, will see the boys go head-to-head in their quest to be crowned Cup of Nations Champions.
The team has been training and preparing for their first continental showcase of the grassroots football talent masterpiece. They will will face teams from Zimbabwe, Angola, Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Ethiopia and tournament hosts, Kenya.
After lifting the coveted trophy twice in succession in the last two years, all eyes will be on Clapham high school to continue their football dominance even beyond South African borders.
Clapham will have a slight advantage. Their captain, Thando Buthelezi, was part of the national U17 South African football team, Amajimbos, who recently went to Mauritius this year to play in the U17 Cosafa Cup. Buthelezi’s football acumen will play a pivotal role in helping the team to advance to the next stage of the 2018 Cup of Nations.
The continental showpiece will afford the participating players an opportunity to be scouted by international clubs, fulfilling the company’s vision of unearthing grassroots football talent to a wider audience. – Sowetan Reporter