The fourth edition of the Kearsney Soccer Tournament concluded on Saturday afternoon, with first-time winners being crowned in both the boys’ and girls’ events.
Urban Academy, the runner-up in 2025, won the boys’ title, while Danville Park Girls’ High captured the girls’ honours.
In a tightly-contested boys’ final, Urban Academy edged out Glenwood, the champions of the Mancosa KwaZulu-Natal High Schools Football Association (KZNHSFA) Coastal A-League, 1-0, with Aqhama Ndibaza netting the only goal of the match.
That was the same result as in the girls’ title game, with Danville Park Girls’ High holding off Ashton International College Ballito to succeed St Mary’s DSG Kloof as the champion.
By winning the Kearney Soccer Tournament, Urban Academy claimed a fourth title in the span of six months.
Their remarkable run of success began in February at the Victoria Park Soccer Challenge. In May, they added the Freedom Cup hosted by Wynberg Boys’ High.
Additionally, they secured the Eastern Cape provincial title in the Super Soccer Schools Tournament, a national tournament hosted by Urban Academy.
The Gqeberha school reached Saturday’s final by beating Khabazela High 2-1 in the last four. Glenwood, meanwhile, faced a familiar rival, Maritzburg College, in their semifinal, with the Green Machine scoring a 2-0 win over the Red, Black, and White.
Teams that did not qualify for the Cup were subsequently relegated to the Plate competition.
In the opening match of the Plate quarterfinals on Friday, Durban High School (DHS) claimed a 1-0 victory over Sutherland High. Westville Boys’ High narrowly defeated Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge 2-1. Queensburgh High School won 2-0 against Northwood, and Kearsney College downed Ashton Ballito 3-1.
Westville advanced to the final with a 2-0 victory over Queensburgh High, while DHS joined them after a nail-biting 5-4 penalty shootout win over Kearsney following a tense 1-1 draw in regulation time.
The Plate final was another meeting of familiar foes. In recent years, the results have favoured Westville Boys’ High, but this time DHS won, claiming the Plate with a 2-1 win.
In the girls’ competition, Danville Park eliminated the two-time defending champion, St Mary’s DSG, winning 2-0 in a penalty shootout after the teams shared a 1-1 draw.
St Mary’s was the only school that had previously claimed the title. They won it in 2024, the inaugural year of girls’ competition, and they successfully defended it in 2025.
Ashton Ballito reached the final after a narrow 1-0 victory over Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge.
After missing out on a three-peat, St Mary’s DSG faced Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge for the bronze medal, but found themselves shut out, with the Johannesburg school claiming a 3-2 victory.
The fifth- and sixth-place playoff also finished with a 3-2 scoreline. This time it favoured St Henry’s Marist College, who held off Durban Girls’ High, last year’s runner-up.
Boys’ High School Competition
Friday, 17 July
Group A
Khabazela High 0-0 Siyajabula
Group B
Glenwood 3-1 Westville Boys’ High
Group C
Maritzburg College 6-0 Sutherland
Group D
Clifton 2-1 Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge
Playoffs/Knockout Stages
Championship Quarterfinal
Maritzburg (3) 2-2 (1) Siyajabula
Urban Academy 7-0 Maqhutshana
Khabazela High (3) 0-0 (2) KwaDinabakubo
Glenwood (3) 1-1 (2) Clifton
Plate Quarterfinals
Durban High 1-0 Sutherland
Westville Boys’ High 2-1 Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge
Queensburgh 2-0 Northwood
Kearsney College 3-1 Ashton Ballito
Championship Semifinal
Glenwood 2-0 Maritzburg College
Urban Academy 2-1 Khabazela High
Plate Semifinals
Westville 2-0 Queensburgh
Durban High (5) 1-1 (4) Kearsney College
Saturday, 18 July
Championship Final
Urban Academy 1-0 Glenwood
Plate Final
Durban High School 2-1 Westville Boys’ High
15-16th Playoff Position
Ashton 2-1 Sutherland
13-14th Playoff
Northwood 3-0 Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge
5-6 playoff
Clifton 3-2 Maqhutshana
Friday, 17 July
Girls’ High School
St Mary’s DSG 1-1 St Henry’s Marist
Danville Park 2-2 Ashton Ballito
Trinityhouse Randpark 5-2 Durban Girls’ High
Ashton Ballito 1-1 St Henry’s Marist
Trinityhouse Randpark 2-1 St Mary’s DSG
Danville Park 3-2 Durban Girls’ High
Playoffs
Semifinals
Ashton 1-0 Trinity
Danville (2) 1-1 (0) St Mary’s DGS
Saturday, 17 July
Position 5-6
St Henry’s 3-2 Durban Girls’ High
Position 3-4
Trinityhouse 3-2 St Mary’s DSG
Final
Danville Park 1-0 Ashton
