Hoërskool Garsfontein‘s first team girls’ coach, Essex Mbekeni, described his side’s triumph at the Challengers’ Cup in Paarl on Sunday as “rewarding”.
Garsies and HMS Bloemhof played to a goalless draw in a tight final. The Pretoria side then claimed the silverware with a 3-2 win in a penalty shootout.
“It’s rewarding. We’ve played well for large parts of the tournaments,” he told SuperSport Schools News.
“It’s also so rewarding for the girls to finish well and keep believing that they can compete with most teams.”
On their way to the title game, Garsfontein played well and defended for their lives right from the first match.
In the pool stage, they won four of their five matches, beating Durban Girls’ College, Bloemhof, Paarl Girls’ High, and Parel Vallei High, and they drew against Hoërskool Durbanville.
That near-perfect record left them in first place in Pool B, earning them a semifinal showdown with their provincial rival and last year’s winner, Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool (Affies).
Garsfontein knew they faced a dangerous team. Earlier this season, in a league clash, Affies scored a tight 3-2 victory.
However, Garsies played without fear, taking the game to their Affies, and eventually walked away with a 3-1 win, thanks to goals by Jana Seebach (2) and Hannah Liebenberg.
In the final, they faced a Bloemhof side that had defeated Stellenberg in a penalty shootout to book their place in the title decider.
The final was a tight scrap, which ended 0-0. Garsies kept their composure, though, to claim a 3-2 win in the penalty shootout that followed.
“The final was very tough, to be honest,” coach Mbekeni said. “Playing a side you’ve played already is always going to be challenging.” Garsfontein beat Bloemhof 2-1 in their pool match.
“I’m super proud of the girls; they’ve been consistent the whole week and rewarded themselves by getting the results.”
When asked what his message was to his team heading into the tournament at Paarl, he said: “I just told them we have to do our best to finish off well.
“We wanted to consistently finish in the top half of every tournament, and we had to take it one game at a time.
“The girls believed from day one, and they defended very toughly. We wanted to keep improving, and what kept the girls keen was definitely a new press for this specific tournament.”
Mbekeni, who also led the Northern Gauteng u18A side to a silver medal at the SASHOC National Week, credited his full squad for the victory.
While experienced players Jana Seebach and Moya Reinach continued their impressive form, the side also relied heavily on their miserly defence. Goalkeeper Zuraida Venter made some crucial saves while centre-back Emma Bouwer was rock-solid at the back.
In the third-place playoff, Stellenberg was on fire and defeated Affies 3-1 to make their debut at the tournament memorable.
St Anne’s DSG beat Fairmont High 4-2 to seal a top-five finish, while Rustenburg Girls’ High, Paarl Girls’ High, and Durbanville also won.
Results
Garsfontein (3) 0-0 (2) Bloemhof
Stellenberg 3-1 Affies
St Anne’s DSG 4-2 Fairmont High
Durbanville 3-2 Durban Girls’ College
Paarl Girls’ High 2-1 Parel Vallei
Rustenburg Girls’ High 3-0 DF Akademie
Final standings
Garsfontein
HMS Bloemhof
Stellenberg
Affies
St Anne’s DSG
Fairmont High
Durbanville
Durban Girls’ College
Paarl Girls’ High
Parel Vallei High
Rustenburg Girls’ High
DF Akademie
