By Chris Totobela
On Saturday, 27 January, the selected u19 sides from different municipalities of the Sarah Baartman District met in Addo in the Sundays River. These were district trials for various sports codes in preparation for the upcoming premier games that will be held from 1 to 3 March in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.
Makana Municipality participated in both men’s and women’s football, netball and rugby. In women’s football, Makana Municipality went down to the eventual winners in their final game.
Team captain Sandisiwe Mhlauli was pleased with how the team performed. “I think we did well under those circumstances. All of us were playing on the selected side for the first time, and we came from different teams and schools. Most of us had not started training yet, but we held our own against teams that looked sharper than us. The heat was also unbearable, which made it worse for us, but we gave a good fight,” said Mhlauli.
On the other hand, the male u19 team dominated their opponents and went all the way to the finals without conceding a single goal. Head coach Asanda Koliti praised his boys. “We had a very strong group of players, and when they showed this hunger to succeed, my job as a coach becomes easier. The officiating at these trials was excellent, and all the match officials were on top of their game. I’m very happy for these boys,” said Koliti.
This team mainly consisted of players who plied their trade in Hollywood Bets regional league teams who had already started with their fixtures and beefed up a few positions with top premier league clubs’ players. This proved to be an excellent move by the coaching staff as all the players were match fit and knew each other very well, which was evident on the field as it was proven by the good combinations displayed on the day. Blue Crane Route Municipality and Makana Municipality will represent the Sarah Baartman District in the premier games in women’s and men’s football, respectively.
