Local team takes KZN street soccer title
Shongweni soccer team scoops top trophy.
THE Edameni Primary School street soccer team, which hails from Shongweni, scooped the top trophy at the Kia Street Soccer KwaZulu-Natal provincial final, which took place on Thursday 22 August in Phoenix. They scored a 2-0 victory against Dr J.L Dube street soccer team during the final Match.
The team will be flown to Johannesburg next month where programme organiser Sporting Chance, in association with title sponsor KIA Motors, and other sponsors, will host the National Festival Finale on Saturday 14 September. There, the Kia Street Soccer Programme provincial winners from each region will square up in the final challenge, to determine the 2013 Kia Street Soccer champion team.
Five months ago, Sporting Chance rolled out the national neighbourhood street soccer programme across South Africa to 6000 boys and girls under the age of 13 in communities in Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and Welkom. In total, 800 teams of six players each have participated in regional leagues since May.
In KwaZulu-Natal, weekly round robin matches have been taking place in various communities participating in the programme including KwaMashu, Lamontville, Chatsworth, Inanda, Marianhill, Phoenix and Umlazi.
Conceptualised and co-ordinated by youth sports development agency Sporting Chance, the Kia Street Soccer programme teaches life skills through the game of soccer.
