Flying Eagles taking assured steps in the right direction
Multiple fixtures across the age groups give coaches plenty to learn from
On a long road to bring change, small steps in the right direction and the intention with which the game is played are what matters.
Flying Eagles Sports Institute are slowly piecing their puzzle together, facing a variety of challenges across various Rand Central Local Football Association (RCLFA) leagues, September 11 and 12. The U/9s kicked off the weekend with a goal fest against Stars of Africa. The end-to-end action left defensive-minded observers pulling their hair out as Flying Eagles ran out 7–5 winners.
A bumper Sunday programme at Culembeeck Primary School began with a visit from Emmarentia Girls. The visitors had their male counterparts stretched at times but the young ladies’ composure in front of goal let them down when it mattered. Emmarentia showed great heart and the final 4–0 scoreline flattered the boys slightly. “We underestimated the opponents today and that almost hurt us. The boys seem to forget everything we do in training when it’s game day. Though it’s hard at the moment, the boys will get there,” said Eagle’s chairman, Tsepho Mogoba.
The U/15s were up next against Starlets of Africa. On the back of a good mid-week result that saw them clutch a draw from 3–1 down, they again made a brave comeback. “We’ve found some balance in the team with the new player registrations. The players showed incredible belief in the team and their abilities, and it was a remarkable feat to win the match 3–2,” praised Tsepho.
The big draw of the day was the visit of a SuperSport United development academy. Together with Soweto United, they would be the opponents for Flying Eagles’ brightest age group. Unfortunately, results did not go their way with both U/13A and B sides losing 3–2 and 4–1, respectively. Tsepho summed up his teams’ performance, saying, “Today’s match was tightly contested against a well-prepared SuperSport United team. An error in the last five minutes cost us the game from 2–2 draw to a 2–3 loss. The team has made remarkable strides going forward and we believe that the best is yet to come.”
