Bon voyage to Bree Primary School team

Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, bid bon voyage to the Bree Primary School football team that will represent South Africa in the world finals of the Danone Nations Cup in Morocco.

Lesufi announced that he was putting pressure on his department to ensure the Schools Sports League was up and running, “… so we can nurture the talent of our children, such as these young boys who will be our ambassadors in Morocco,” he said.

“Our forebearers came to this province [Gauteng] in search of gold but now that the gold is gone, our new gold is the talent being exhibited by these young children.”

He added that one day they will form the core of Bafana Bafana.

“It is our wish that, like their predecessors of 2009, they bring the cup back home. But with that said, there is no pressure on the youngsters and all we can wish them is bon voyage and that they enjoy the tournament and trip of a lifetime,” Lesufi said.

It will be an incredible experience for the team of U12 boys, all of whom will be in an aeroplane for the first time and it will be their first-ever trip outside the borders of the country.

Among those to wish them well for a tournament that begins on 22 October, were Danone managing director Emil Gochev, South African Schools Football Association president Mandla ‘Shoes’ Mazibuko, as well as a large contingent of media men and women.

“This is the culmination of a journey that started in January this year when over 2 000 schools registered to compete in the Danone Nations Cup, and Bree Primary emerged victorious out of the lot,” said Gochev.

After a five-year dry spell since being crowned world champions in 2009, school principal and team manager Davenand Kallicharan said he had sat down with his coach, Bafana Dlamini, to strategise winning both the provincial and national finals of the competition.

“We went on a recruitment drive to source extra players to boost our team and they joined the school this year. We’re not putting them under pressure, but bringing the trophy home will be a cherry on top.”

Asked what he wanted to take from the trip, captain Ntando Simayile said, “I will get to travel by plane for the first time, see a desert for the first time, get to understand nutrition better, and I am really looking forward to staying in a fine hotel.

“I also want to learn as much as I can about football and watch how other countries play. I have seen some videos of previous Danone Nations Cup world finals and I have seen some spectacular goals scored. I also want to have lots of fun.”