Plumstead crowned under-16 schools soccer champs

Plumstead High School’s under-16 boys’ soccer squad were crowned Gavin Manuel Memorial Schools Legacy Cup champions, following their 2-0 win against Wynberg High, in the cup final match, at Rocklands High, last week.

In the girls’ under-18 division, Khayelitsha’s Manyano High beat Glendale 3-0 in their cup final match.

Plumstead’s Jonathan Lukuma was named player-of-the-tournament, in the boys’ section with Manyano’s Nasiphi Kolwane claiming the accolade in the girls’ section.

Westridge High School’s Nikita Erasmus was named the tournament’s top goalscorer in the girls’ division with six goals to her name.

There was no clear winner in the boys’ section as three players finished on four goals each.

The tournament’s top boys and girls goalkeeper award went to Wynberg’s Ayabonga Yawa and Manyano’s Buhle Ncanywa, respectively.

Established in 2016, this year’s competition featured 24 boys’ and 16 girls’ teams. Established in 2016, the competition is named in honour of former teacher, coach and soccer administrator, the late Gavin Manuel, who died in 2015 and was instrumental in the development of the game across the city. A former referee in the old Federation Professional League (FPL), a forerunner to the PSL, Manuel was head of youth development at Hellenic FC and Santos FC on separate occassions and served on the now-defunct Western Province Senior Secondary School Sports Union (WPSSSU) football committee that conceptualised the idea of a September schools soccer tournament.