Hard work pays off as Walmer High reach soccer finals

IT will be a dream come true for Walmer High when they compete in the Eastern Cape provincial soccer finals of the Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup at the Jabavu Stadium in Uitenhage on Saturday.

In just their second year in the competition, the PE school have gone all the way in the regional playoffs and now have a massive opportunity to claim a spot in the national finals.

Last year, they were knocked out in the regional stages and coach Lunga Lloyd said this week they had learnt from that experience.

"It was tough for us last year because it was our first time competing in the tournament," Lloyd said, "but we took last year's defeat as a learning experience.

"It was also my first year teaching at the school so I didn't know the players."

"This year has been different. Many of the boys know each other from the local clubs they also play for and they have encouraged other good players at the school to come out and play for the team.

"The prize of R100000 on offer makes the team all fired up for the provincial finals," Lloyd said. "I don't even need to remind them about training session. By the time school ends, I find them on the field training. They are motivated and want to win the provincials."

Should they win the title, Lloyd said they would use the money to renovate their classrooms which are in disrepair and inadequate for the number of pupils at the school. Lloyd does not have a formal coaching qualification – he is just a teacher with a passion for the game – so he realises he needs expert assistance if they are to progress further.

"I have organised for some of the coaches who are successful at the local clubs to come in and assist in coaching the boys," he said.

"Reaching this level requires a more experienced technical team to help iron out areas that need to be improved."

He also arranged extra games against schools during this week, ahead of the finals.

Lloyd said that making the provincial finals this year showed that there had been an improvement in the team and that their efforts and hard work were paying off.

"I have a team that is filled with talented boys, they are a united front and they all have the same goal, which is to win the provincials," he said.

There have been challenges, though. Lack of equipment and resources are a big problem for the team and they don't have a proper field to train on.

"We are fighting to meet these challenges by entering tournaments like this that can help us in funding the school's necessities," Lloyd said.

The teams competing in the provincial finals are: Tlokweng Senior Secondary (Joe Gqabi District), Magadla Senior Secondary (Alfred Nzo), Zimele Senior Secondary (OR Tambo), Walmer High (Nelson Mandela Bay), Executive Academy (Amathole), Lingelihle High (Chris Hani), Velile High (Cacadu).