3 September 2023
(Feature photo courtesy of Justin Waldman Sports Photography | Facebook)
A special season has been unwinding for the Maritzburg College 1st football team. They won the Inland League in the second term, added the Primo Big 10 title at the end of July, and then claimed the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Cup on Sunday at Hilton College for the first time in their history.
In a cracking showdown, worthy of a final, College held on for a 3-2 win over Carter High, who fought back from 1-3 down and created a number of gilt-edged opportunities to level the scores. They teased the structure of the goals on three occasions as time wound down, but College held firm to add yet more silverware to their trophy case.
Chairman of the KZN High Schools Football Association, Dan Haswell, complimented the finalists, describing the title-decider as “pulsating and exciting”, and a game that “encapsulated everything that is great about school sport, and football in particular.”
Incredibly, after two days of energy-sapping action, the pace and the excitement ramped up throughout the contest.
Maritzburg College were first on the scoreboard in the final, courtesy of a peach of a goal by their captain, Mateo Horstead who buried a brilliant shot from about 30 metres out into the back of the Carter goal.
He was lined up with the left-hand post when he struck the ball. It curled away from the keeper’s desperate dive and, with perfect placement, found the side netting, to leave him with no chance of preventing the goal. It would have been a worthy winner of any competition, but there were plenty more goals to come.
Super block
In the 24th minute, College looked odds-on to go 2-0 up when the prolific Mazithi Qasha broke clear of Carter’s central defenders after a mix up between them. He then beat the ‘keeper, but in doing so lost a little control of the ball. He was forced to take an extra touch which allowed one of the defenders to get back and block the goal-bound effort on the line. A superb piece of defending!
It was 1-0 to Maritzburg College at the break.
Five minutes into the second stanza, Carter broke College’s offside trap and after a scramble had the ball in the back of the net. They celebrated with unbridled joy. Game on!
Penalty
Horstead was centimetres wide of the mark in the 34th minute, with a low shot to the goalie’s left. Two minutes later, though, College were awarded a penalty when the speedy Zipho Makangela was brought down in the Carter box. Thando Hlophe calmed dispatched the opportunity and College led again.
The red, black and white then introduced 100 metre sprint champion Ilunga Kayembe and that decision was quickly rewarded when he scored from close range after 39 minutes. With just over 10 minutes to play and Maritzburg College 3-1 to the good, it looked all over bar the shouting. But there was plenty of drama to come…
Within a minute, astonishingly, Carter had halved their deficit after a free kick floated into the College box from their own half caused problems for the defenders and resulted in an own goal.
Under pressure
Horstead and company sought to calm matters by playing the possession football that is a hallmark of their game. But Carter kept up the pressure and created chances.
First, they fired over the crossbar from close range. Then, a well-met Carter header bounced up and over the crossbar before, with only two minutes to play, a golden chance to level the scores was sent across the goals from only five metres out, and behind for a goal kick.
After a scintillating contest, it finished 3-2 and College had captured their third trophy of the season.
Awards
Maritzburg College players were also the recipients of two individual awards. CJ Sukraj was named the Top Goalkeeper, while Grayson Mentory received the award for the top goal-scorer.
He finished with seven goals, just one behind the record held by Ryan Moon, who struck eight times for Maritzburg College in 2013. The trophy is named after him.
Saint Nicholas Diocesan School won the Bowl Trophy, while Edendale Technical High School lifted the Plate.
The Road to the Final
Maritzburg College 8-0 Saint Nicholas Diocesan School
Maritzburg College 1-0 Voortrekker
Maritzburg College 2-0 Heritage Academy
Maritzburg College 5-1 Alexandra High
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