The Nedbank Grey College Soccer Tournament kicks off on Thursday, with 24 top teams from across South Africa vying for the prestigious title.
The hosts, who finished as the runner-up at the Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament earlier this year, are always in the running. They’re in Pool A.
That is also where the defending champions, Wynberg Boys’ High, have been drawn.
Wynberg lifted the trophy last year, winning 3-1 in a penalty shootout after a goalless draw against Vaal High in the title decider. Vaal High has not returned, however.
Bloemfontein’s Brebner High, Johannesburg’s St David’s Marist Inanda and Parktown Boys’ High, and Durban High School (DHS) complete the Pool A line-up.
St David’s made it to the semifinals of their own St David’s Marist Inanda Challenge Cup in August, bowing out in the semi-finals after losing to St John’s College in a penalty shootout.
DHS, meanwhile, reached the Kloof High National Football Tournament final, losing out to HTS Louis Botha for the title, 4-5 in a penalty shootout.
One of the bigger challenges coastal schools like DHS face is adjusting to the high altitude and the hard Bloemfontein football fields. Balls travel further and bounce higher than at the coast.
Group B features Navalsig High, who proved their pedigree by winning the Absa Wildeklawer Soccer Tournament in April in Kimberley. Their opponents include Kimberley Boys’ High, which finished fourth at the same tournament.
Zululand’s Empangeni High holds the advantage of being something of an unknown, while Pretoria Boys High and Jeppe front the Gauteng challenge.
It’s been a good season for Jeppe, who were unbeaten at PBHS’s Association of Public Boys ‘ Schools of South Africa Football Festival in July. Earlier this month, PBHS and Jeppe drew in Johannesburg.
St Andrew’s School completes the group and, along with Navalsig, is one of the schools that will enjoy home support in Bloemfontein.
Group C features the Kloof High National Football winners, HTS Louis Botha, a perennial powerhouse. They weren’t part of last year’s event, so they would like nothing more than to make a big splash and add another big title to their impressive list of achievements.
Norkem Park High, seventh in 2025, a year in which they also finished as the runner-up in the Curro Halala Cup, will be one of their challengers in Group C. King Edward VII (KES) flies the flag for Gauteng, Victoria Park High carries Eastern Cape hopes, Kearsney College represents KwaZulu-Natal, and Hodisa Secondary is the hometown team.
St Stithians College, the Nedbank Grey College Soccer Tournament winners in 2023 and 2024, is in Group D. They’re sure to face a stiff challenge from CBC Mount Edmund, which finished as the runner-up in the Curro Halala Cup in August.
Glenwood High won the Mancosa KZNHSFA Coastal A-League in June, was the runner-up at the Big 10 in September, but missed the mark at the Curro Halala Cup in August. They’ll aim to take those high altitude lessons and put them to good use in Bloemfontein.
Bloemfontein South High beat Strelitzia High in the Nedbank Grey College Soccer Tournament Bowl final last year, and both are in Group D.
Reddam House Bedfordview completes the lineup. They finished 11th out of 20 at the Absa Wildeklawer tournament. Their results included a stunning 6-1 win over Maritzburg College.
GROUPS
Group A: Grey College, Brebner High, Durban High School (DHS), Wynberg Boys’ High, St David’s Marist Inanda, Parktown Boys’ High
Group B: Navalsig, St Andrew’s School, Empangeni High, Kimberley Boys’ High, Pretoria Boys High, Jeppe High School for Boys
Group C: HTS Louis Botha, Hodisa, Kearsney College, Victoria Park, King Edward VII, Norkem Park
Group D: Bloemfontein South High, Glenwood High, Strelitzia, St Stithians College, CBC Mount Edmund, Reddam House Bedfordview
FIXTURES
Thursday, 24 September
Field 1
08:00 – Grey College vs Brebner
09:25 – HTS Louis Botha vs Hodisa
10:50 – Kimberley Boys’ High vs Jeppe
12:05 – Lunch/Opening
13:30 – St Stithians vs Reddam House Bedfordview
14:55 – St Andrew’s School vs Pretoria Boys High
Field 2
08:00 – Navalsig vs St Andrew’s School
09:25 – Bloemfontein South vs Glenwood
10:50 – Wynberg vs Parktown
12:05 – Lunch/Opening
13:30 – Victoria Park vs Norkem Park
14:55 – Brebner vs St David’s
Field 3
08:00 – DHS vs Wynberg
09:25 – Kearsney vs Victoria Park
10:50 – Navalsig vs Pretoria Boys High
12:05 – Lunch/Opening
13:30 – Bloemfontein South vs CBC Mount Edmund
14:55 – Empangeni vs Jeppe
Field 4
08:00 – Empangeni vs Kimberley Boys’ High
09:25 – Strelitzia vs St Stithians
10:50 – Grey College vs St David’s
12:05 – Lunch/Opening
13:30 – HTS Louis Botha vs KES
14:55 – DHS vs Parktown Boys’ High
Field 5
08:00 – St David’s vs Parktown Boys’ High
09:25 – KES vs Norkem Park
10:50 – St Andrew’s School vs Empangeni High
12:05 – Lunch/Opening
13:30 – Glenwood vs Strelitzia
14:55 – Grey College vs Wynberg Boys’ High
Field 6
08:00 – Pretoria Boys High vs Jeppe
09:25 – CBC Mount Edmund vs Reddam House Bedfordview
10:50 – Brebner vs DHS
12:05 – Lunch/Opening
13:30 – Hodisa vs Kearsney
14:55 – Navalsig vs Kimberley Boys’ High
Saturday, 25 September
Field 1
08:00 – Glenwood vs CBC Mount Edmund
09:25 – DHS vs St David’s
10:50 – Kearsney vs KES
12:05 – Lunch
13:30 – Navalsig vs Empangeni
14:55 – Bloemfontein South vs CBC Mount Edmund
Field 2
08:00 – Hodisa vs KES
09:25 – Empangeni vs Pretoria Boys High
10:50 – Strelitzia vs CBC Mount Edmund
12:05 – Lunch
13:30 – Grey College vs DHS
14:55 – HTS Louis Botha vs Kearsney
Field 3
08:00 – Strelitzia vs Reddam House Bedfordview
09:25 – St Andrew’s School vs Kimberley Boys’ High
10:50 – Glenwood vs St Stithians
12:05 – Lunch
13:30 – Brebner vs Parktown Boys’ High
14:55 – Hodisa vs Norkem Park
Field 4
08:00 – Kearsney vs Norkem Park
09:25 – Brebner vs Wynberg
10:50 – Hodisa vs Victoria Park
12:05 – Lunch
13:30 – St Andrew’s School vs Jeppe
14:55 – Glenwood vs Reddam House Bedfordview
Field 5
08:00 – HTS Louis Botha vs Victoria Park
09:25 – Navalsig vs Jeppe
10:50 – Bloemfontein South vs Reddam House Bedfordview
12:05 – Lunch
13:30 – Kimberley Boys’ High vs Pretoria Boys High
14:55 – St Stithians vs CBC Mount Edmund
Field 6
08:00 – Bloemfontein South vs St Stithians
09:25 – Grey College vs Parktown Boys’ High
10:50 – HTS Louis Botha vs Norkem Park
12:05 – Lunch
13:30 – Wynberg vs St David’s
14:55 – Victoria Park vs KES
Saturday, 26 September
Bowl Quarterfinals
08:00
Field 1 – 5th Group A vs 6th Group B (I)
Field 2 – 6th Group A vs 5th Group B (J)
Field 3 – 5th Group C vs 6th Group D (K)
Field 4 – 6th Group A vs 5th Group D (L)
Plate Quarterfinals
09:25
Field 1 – 3rd Group A vs 4th Group B (E)
Field 2 – 4th Group A vs 3rd Group B (F)
Field 3 – 3rd Group C vs 4th Group D (G)
Field 4 – 4th Group A vs 3rd Group D (H)
Cup Quarterfinals
11:00
Field 1 – 1st Group A vs 2nd Group B (A)
Field 2 – 2nd Group A vs 1st Group B (B)
Field 3 – 1st Group C vs 2nd Group D (C)
Field 4 – 2nd Group C vs 1st Group D (D)
Lunch – 12:15
Bowl Semifinals
12:45
Field 1 – Winner I vs Winner L (U)
Field 2 – Winner J vs Winner K (V)
Field 3 – Loser I vs Loser L (W)
Field 4 – Loser J vs Loser K (X)
Plate Semifinals
14:15
Field 1 – Winner E vs Winner H (Q)
Field 2 – Winner F vs Winner G (R)
Field 3 – Loser E vs Loser H (S)
Field 4 – Loser F vs Loser G (T)
Cup Semifinals
15:45
Field 1 – Winner A vs Winner D (M)
Field 2 – Winner B vs Winner C (N)
Field 3 – Loser A vs Loser D (O)
Field 4 – Loser B vs Loser C (P)
Sunday, 27 September
Playoffs
08:00
23/24 – Field 4 – Loser W vs Loser X
21/22 – Field 3 – Winner W vs Winner X
19/20 – Field 2 – Loser U vs Loser V
17/18 – Field 1 – Winner U vs Winner V (Bowl Final)
09:30
15/16 – Field 4 – Loser S vs Loser T
13/14 – Field 3 – Winner S vs Winner T
11/12 – Field 2 – Loser Q vs Loser R
9/10 – Field 1 – Winner Q vs Winner R (Plate Final)
11:00
7/8 – Field 3 – Loser O vs Loser P
5/6 – Field 2 – Winner O vs Winner P
3/4 – Field 1 – Loser M vs Loser N
12:30 – Coastal vs Inland coaches match
14:00 – Field 1 – Winner M vs Winner N (Challenge Final)
