Fish Hoek High School’s football team finished runners-up in the Champions Football Association (FA) Cup held at Cloetesville sports grounds in Stellenbosch after a hard-fought final, earning a R2 500 team prize on Saturday 8 August.

The young soccer stars earned plenty of praise from their coach, Fakier Terry, who commended their determination and fighting spirit.

Weekend tournament

The squad, made up of pupils from Grade 8 to 12 with the youngest player just 14 years old, showed great commitment, teamwork, and school spirit throughout the demanding weekend tournament, said school teacher, Justin Groenewald.

“I’m really proud of the boys and what they achieved. Reaching the Champions FA Cup final is a fantastic achievement, not just for the players but for Fish Hoek High School as well,” Terry said.

The final was decided by a single goal, with the team going 1-0 down after a small mistake.

Terry was pleased with how the boys responded, creating good opportunities afterwards but were unfortunate not to find an equaliser.

“These are the experiences that help young players grow, and hopefully they’ll take the positives from the tournament and come back even stronger,” he said.

Managing the squad’s fitness and mindset across a busy weekend was key.

Terry focused on keeping the boys fresh, ensuring adequate recovery, and maintaining a positive mindset while encouraging them to enjoy the experience.

Players reflect

Vice-captain Thabiso Booi said it felt great to reach the final and walk away with the prize.
“We worked really hard as a team to reach the final, and coming second and winning R2 500 is something we can be proud of,” he said.

The toughest moment was going a goal down and having to fight back.

“We stayed focused, kept encouraging each other and continued pushing until the end,” Booi said, adding that the tournament taught him to stay calm under pressure, trust his teammates, and keep going when things are not going their way.

Booi urged younger players dreaming of playing for the first team to keep working hard, believe in themselves, and never give up.

Matriculant Luke O’Reilly, who will not be there next season, said he was more than proud of how the team fought to the very end.

He singled out the defenders for constantly covering the second ball to allow the attackers to push forward.

“Football is football. You can only do your best going into games and that’s the mentality of all the boys. We want to win no matter what competition it may be,” O’Reilly said.

He backed his teammates to strive for gold next season.

“I know we won’t disappoint,” he added.

Terry said the R2 500 prize would be used for something that benefits the team and gives the boys something to enjoy together, adding that the future is very exciting for this young group.

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