The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
IT was double delight for Entumbane High School with both their boys as well as girls being champions in the Dumisani Foundation football tournament at Mtshabezi High School last Friday.
The Entumbane girls clobbered Mtshabezi 7-0 while the boys defeated the same school 4-3 on penalties with the match having concluded 1-1 in normal time. While the contest between the girls was one sided in favour of Entumbane, the boys clash was a tight affair.
Entumbane went ahead in the 16th minute through Player of the Tournament, Ronaldo Chapataronga before Bhekumuzi Nkomazana equalised for Mtshabezi from a free kick just before half-time. The second half did not produce any goals with Entumbane the winners on penalties.
Trophies and gold medals were given to the Entumbane youngsters with full playing uniforms to be handed over to the school once they arrive from the United Kingdom. Mtshabezi also received trophies and silver medals with kits to be given to the school.
It came as no surprise when Entumbane swept away all the individual prizes, Chapataronga judged the best player on display in this year’s tournament, Blessing Banda walked away with the Man of the Match award while Andile Sagonda was voted the Goalkeeper of the Tournament. For the girls, Tryphine Tembo won the Player of the Match for the final.
Entumbane boys coach, Kona Tshabangu was delighted to win the tournament for the first time since it started in 2015. .
The man behind the initiative, United Kingdom based school teacher, Dumisani “Zifa” Ndlovu said the aim of his foundation is to engage young people so that they stay away from drugs and alcohol.
“It’s now our fourth year, we started here in 2015 and we are moving on, this is the first time that I’ve come back home with some of my students from the UK. One of the aims of this foundation is to engage young people, to make sure they stay away from alcohol and drugs. Sport is a powerful vehicle, even Mandela (Nelson), said it that sport is a powerful vehicle, a powerful avenue to engage young people,’’ Ndlovu said.
Veteran football administrator, Ndumiso Gumede, who was the guest of honour at the tournament, was convinced that with the talent that he saw, had he come with Highlanders officials, they would signed a few boys.
“The talent that I saw today, if I had come with Highlanders officials they would have signed at least two boys to play for them,’’ Gumede said.
Ndlovu this year came with three of his former students in the UK, Alfie Love, Regan Boyle and Matthew Jones. One of the sponsors, Nkosiyazi Moyo, owner of Souvlaki Restaurant and Bar in the UK as also in attendance while Nkosinathi Zvimba, another UK based businessman who bankrolls the foundation could not make it.
Meanwhile, Ndlovu yesterday donated a playing uniform to the Highlanders Under-16, the club’s traditional black and white stripe.
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