Bracken High soccer girls claim third place at JVW Diamond Cup
University of Johannesburg hosts 32 schools as Alberton team overcomes injuries and shoot-out pressure.
Bracken High School’s girls soccer team earned third place at the JVW Diamond Cup at the University of Johannesburg’s Bunting Road Campus on August 8 and 9.
Organised by JVW Girls Football Club, the tournament brought together 32 schools battling through group stages and knockout rounds.
Bracken High started strongly, winning both matches on the opening day without conceding a goal.
Challenging knockouts and penalty shoot-outs
The team progressed to the second day of competition, where the matches became increasingly challenging.
According to Nomcebo Ngema, a teacher at Bracken High School, the team had to overcome several challenges during the tournament, including injuries and players having other school commitments.
Despite these obstacles, the girls remained committed and continued to give their best on the field.
“The coaches also played a huge role. They were incredibly encouraging and somehow managed to motivate the girls beyond their fears,” said Ngema.
Coach Kharma Makombe was also instrumental in preparing the team.
Ngema said he studied opposing teams and used his observations to prepare the players, both technically and tactically, for their matches.
The second day proved particularly difficult, with Bracken drawing its matches and having to rely on penalty shoot-outs to progress.
The team won its early penalty shoot-outs, but its hopes of reaching the final were ended in the semi-final after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Krugersdorp High School.
The loss was particularly difficult for the players, who had hoped to win the tournament.
However, they had little time to dwell on the disappointment before returning to the field to play for third place.
The girls responded strongly, overcoming the semi-final setback to win the third-place match.
“It would have been very easy for them to give up after such a heartbreaking semi-final loss mentally. Instead, they pulled themselves together, went back onto the field and won the third-place match. For me, that says a lot about the character of these girls,” said Ngema.
Scouts take notice as team targets future victory
The third-place finish has been welcomed as a significant milestone for the school and its players.
Ngema said the achievement has given the girls greater confidence and encouraged them to dream bigger after seeing that they can compete against some of the strongest school teams.
The tournament also provided valuable exposure for some of the players, with scouts, including representatives from Mamelodi Sundowns, watching the competition.
For the Bracken High team, however, third place is not the end goal.
“Our goal is still the Diamond Cup,” said Ngema.
She said the team now understands the level of competition and knows it is capable of competing at that level.
“Third place has not made us comfortable; it has made us hungry. The dream is to go back and win the Diamond Cup.”
