Sundowns crowned Metropolitan Premier Cup Champs
A second-half penalty from Doctor Mamphuru proved decisive as Mamelodi Sundowns trumped Moroka Swallows 1-0 in the final of the Metropolitan Premier Cup at Erica Park in Belhar on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Sundowns had booked their place in the final with a composed 2-0 win over Bidvest Wits, through goals from Jabulani Shongwe and Lucky Nguzane. Swallows arrived at the ground to find that they were already in the final - by default - after German visitors Arminia Bielefeld had to withdraw in order to return home later in the day.
The Brazilians’ triumph put the cherry on top of another highly successful edition of South Africa’s leading Under-19 football tournament. The 64 matches produced an average of over 3 goals per game and showed the thousands of fans that attended over the eight days that there is an abundance of rich talent among the youth of our land.
Metropolitan Group Brand manager, Christabell Kota said, “The high standard of the competition and the sporting spirit in which it was played is a fitting way to celebrate 21 years of the Premier Cup. Metropolitan is proud of its association and contribution as chief sponsor to this important event on the football calendar. It was heart-warming to feel the community atmosphere that make this such a unique spectacle, and it ties in perfectly with Metropolitan’s commitment to youth football development and community upliftment.”
The final was pretty much of a cagey, tactical affair, with Swallows playing a five-man defence and at times keeping ten players behind the ball in an effort to subdue the probing advances of the team in yellow. The ploy worked but limited the scope for attacking football, and very few clear-cut chances were created. It was however, a game for the connoisseur, with intriguing tactical battles taking place all over the pitch.
The match turned in the 69th minute when Birds defender Sipho Twala, who had stuck tight to Lucky Nguzane from the opening whistle, allowed the powerful striker to break free and brought him down in the box as he bore down on goal. Doctor Mamphuru had no trouble converting the resultant penalty and Sundowns had little trouble coasting out the remaining time before breaking into unbridled celebration at the final whistle.
When asked if they were worried before the game that Swallows would have an advantage by not playing earlier, winning captain Siyanda Xulu said, “We were so excited at getting into the final that no-one was tired. We are more competitive than Swallows, they played defensively so we conserved our energy in the first half and we got the break in the second half,” before rushing off to join his team-mates in parading the trophy in front of a sizeable contingent of noisy ‘Downs supporters.
Sundowns’ Head of Youth Development, Zipho Dlangalala attributed sound preparation to his side’s success: “We played a ‘shadow’ tournament at home last week, replicating the demands we would be facing here, so we played matches every day and on some we played twice, aiming to peak in the latter stages of the tournament. The boys are well conditioned and I am very happy at the way they have grown in discipline and tactical awareness.”
A number of awards were made at a prize-giving ceremony that followed the presentation of the trophy.
Player of the Tournament: Brandon Barkhuizen (Bidvest Wits)
Top Goal Scorer: Lyle Peters (Bidvest Wits), Sello Kakudi (Hanover Park), Lucky Nguzane (7 goals each)
Team of the Tournament Bidvest Wits
Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Sage Lottering (Moroka Swallows)
Manager of the Tournament: Msinginathi Livingstone (City Lovers)
Most Promising Team of the Tournament: City Lovers
The Metropolitan Premier Cup Dream Team
Sage Lottering (Moroka Swallows)
Brandon Barkhuizen (Bidvest Wits)
Siyanda Xulu (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Eugene Goqo (Bidvest Wits)
Thabo Mselwa (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Isma-eel Stanford (Ajax Cape Town)
Serame Matalingoene (Moroka Swallows)
Lerato Senyane (Platinum Stars)
Mpho Seloma (Transnet School of Excellence)
Sello Kakudi (Hanover Park)
Ceeman Peterson (Moroka Swallows)
Subs:
Enrich Lakay (Western Province United)
Wade Jooste (Bay United)
Tohier Martin (Western Province United)
Riederwaan Paulse (Baltic Rangers)
Timo Achenbach (Arminia Bielefeld)
Felix Buba (Arminia Bielefeld)
Yannick Grutzner (Arminia Bielefeld)
Sanele Ngigi (City Lovers)
Ashraf Bester (Avendale Athletico)
A second-half penalty from Doctor Mamphuru proved decisive as Mamelodi Sundowns trumped Moroka Swallows 1-0 in the final of the Metropolitan Premier Cup at Erica Park in Belhar on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Sundowns had booked their place in the final with a composed 2-0 win over Bidvest Wits, through goals from Jabulani Shongwe and Lucky Nguzane. Swallows arrived at the ground to find that they were already in the final - by default - after German visitors Arminia Bielefeld had to withdraw in order to return home later in the day.
The Brazilians’ triumph put the cherry on top of another highly successful edition of South Africa’s leading Under-19 football tournament. The 64 matches produced an average of over 3 goals per game and showed the thousands of fans that attended over the eight days that there is an abundance of rich talent among the youth of our land.
Metropolitan Group Brand manager, Christabell Kota said, “The high standard of the competition and the sporting spirit in which it was played is a fitting way to celebrate 21 years of the Premier Cup. Metropolitan is proud of its association and contribution as chief sponsor to this important event on the football calendar. It was heart-warming to feel the community atmosphere that make this such a unique spectacle, and it ties in perfectly with Metropolitan’s commitment to youth football development and community upliftment.”
The final was pretty much of a cagey, tactical affair, with Swallows playing a five-man defence and at times keeping ten players behind the ball in an effort to subdue the probing advances of the team in yellow. The ploy worked but limited the scope for attacking football, and very few clear-cut chances were created. It was however, a game for the connoisseur, with intriguing tactical battles taking place all over the pitch.
The match turned in the 69th minute when Birds defender Sipho Twala, who had stuck tight to Lucky Nguzane from the opening whistle, allowed the powerful striker to break free and brought him down in the box as he bore down on goal. Doctor Mamphuru had no trouble converting the resultant penalty and Sundowns had little trouble coasting out the remaining time before breaking into unbridled celebration at the final whistle.
When asked if they were worried before the game that Swallows would have an advantage by not playing earlier, winning captain Siyanda Xulu said, “We were so excited at getting into the final that no-one was tired. We are more competitive than Swallows, they played defensively so we conserved our energy in the first half and we got the break in the second half,” before rushing off to join his team-mates in parading the trophy in front of a sizeable contingent of noisy ‘Downs supporters.
Sundowns’ Head of Youth Development, Zipho Dlangalala attributed sound preparation to his side’s success: “We played a ‘shadow’ tournament at home last week, replicating the demands we would be facing here, so we played matches every day and on some we played twice, aiming to peak in the latter stages of the tournament. The boys are well conditioned and I am very happy at the way they have grown in discipline and tactical awareness.”
A number of awards were made at a prize-giving ceremony that followed the presentation of the trophy.
Player of the Tournament: Brandon Barkhuizen (Bidvest Wits)
Top Goal Scorer: Lyle Peters (Bidvest Wits), Sello Kakudi (Hanover Park), Lucky Nguzane (7 goals each)
Team of the Tournament Bidvest Wits
Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Sage Lottering (Moroka Swallows)
Manager of the Tournament: Msinginathi Livingstone (City Lovers)
Most Promising Team of the Tournament: City Lovers
The Metropolitan Premier Cup Dream Team
Sage Lottering (Moroka Swallows)
Brandon Barkhuizen (Bidvest Wits)
Siyanda Xulu (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Eugene Goqo (Bidvest Wits)
Thabo Mselwa (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Isma-eel Stanford (Ajax Cape Town)
Serame Matalingoene (Moroka Swallows)
Lerato Senyane (Platinum Stars)
Mpho Seloma (Transnet School of Excellence)
Sello Kakudi (Hanover Park)
Ceeman Peterson (Moroka Swallows)
Subs:
Enrich Lakay (Western Province United)
Wade Jooste (Bay United)
Tohier Martin (Western Province United)
Riederwaan Paulse (Baltic Rangers)
Timo Achenbach (Arminia Bielefeld)
Felix Buba (Arminia Bielefeld)
Yannick Grutzner (Arminia Bielefeld)
Sanele Ngigi (City Lovers)
Ashraf Bester (Avendale Athletico)
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