PE school seeking Copa title
● Ndzondelelo set for national final
Port Elizabeth’s Ndzondelelo High School will be hoping to get their hands on the trophy when they compete in the Copa Coca-Cola national finals from Thursday to Saturday at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban.
Ndzondelelo beat Manguzela Secondary 2-0 in the final at the Orlando Stadium in Mdantsane in July to be crowned the Eastern Cape winners.
The tournament will see nine schools from the various provinces compete for the much-coveted honour of being crowned the best Copa CocaCola U15 football school in the country in 2019.
At the official launch of the national finals in Durban, Coca-Cola SA brand manager Asanda Vumazonke said: “This tournament transcends beyond the field of play.
“By partnering with the South African Schools Football Association (Sasfa) to help develop schools football, we pride ourselves on the holistic approach taken to empower the aspiring footballers.
“Recent graduates such as Khulekani Kubheka, who have become role models to teen audiences, attest to the kind of players Copa Coca-Cola produces.
“We congratulate all teams that have made it to this final stage of the competition and wish them the best of luck, in the spirit of fair play and dynamic sportsmanship.”
His sentiments were echoed by Sasfa president Mandla Mazibuko who thanked CocaCola for tirelessly playing a crucial role in the unearthing of talent.
“We look forward to more goals and seeing the youngsters showcase even more passion for the beautiful game.
“We trust that the boys will bring all their energy and excitement to play their hearts out on the field.
“It is a great opportunity for them to be recognised and spotted for their future careers,” Mazibuko said.
Copa Coca-Cola ambassador Lucky Lekgwathi, who has also been travelling across the country, said he was looking forward to seeing South Africa’s best talent on display in Durban.
“As one of the ambassadors for this year’s tournament, we have seen so much talent being unearthed,” he said. “Thanks to Copa Coca-Cola, impressive talent has been identified and will be seen performing in Durban.
“We urge the people of Umlazi and surrounding communities to come out in their numbers and support these aspiring footballers who will one day represent the country, just like a number of graduates from the tournament in recent years.”
‘We trust that the boys will bring all their energy and excitement to play their hearts out on the field’
Mandla Mazibuko
SASFA PRESIDENT