Local soccer star Duane on fire as Aces reach quarters
Corinthians Black Aces captain Duane Bennett from Parkrand and his teammates can hold their heads high following their impressive run in Spain which ended in the quarter-final stages, recently.
The Aces u-12 side were competing in the annual Mundialito Tournament, which features the best international teams including Bayern Munich, Juventus and Liverpool.
The nine-a-side spectacle, which was celebrating its 24th anniversary, saw Aces finish second in their group during the round-robin phase behind Juve.
Their run included a 5-2 thumping of Club Gimnastic de Tarragona, a 6-4 loss to Juve, a 2-1 win against Bolivia and a 3-1 dismissal of UCF Cambrils.
Aces’ brick wall to their road to the semis was in the form of German side Schalke, who beat the local side 4-1.
The instrumental Bennett, who played as a midfielder, a centre back and was the second choice shot stopper, netted once throughout the footballing jamboree.
Bennett’s love for the beautiful game began at a very young age and his ultimate dream is to one day become a professional footballer.
He has won numerous accolades over the few past years, including earning selection for the Robin van Persie International Tournament through SAFA’s Let’s Play programme. He also earned selection for the Easterns A side, which he vice captained – all in 2015. – @SabeloBoksburg