St Joseph’s in Coke win

THE Coca-Cola Football Stars tournament produced a winner for the Khomas Region on Saturday in the form of St Joseph’s High School, after the popular schools’ competition was launched on Friday.

St Joseph’s, alias Doebra, swept aside Jan Moehr in a penalty shootout after a one-all draw at full time to win the finals for the Khomas Region in matches played at the Katutura Multi-Purpose Youth Complex. The win by the school, which is about 20 kilometres north of Windhoek, follows the official launch of the competition by Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, John Mutorwa.At the launch, Mutorwa called for players to show discipline and warned that the ones who failed to abide by the rules, would be expelled from the event.He said most of the players who will be competing in the nationwide tournament are future players of the various national teams and it was important for them to show discipline at a young age.”Players should behave while they participate.Indiscipline cannot be tolerated.Players who are undisciplined will be kicked out of the tournament,” he said.Mutorwa emphasised the importance of hosting such a tournament for schools and thanked Coca Cola for sponsoring such a great initiative for the past four years.He said his ministry has been involved with the programme for the past three years and was hoping for the tournament to grow, but with the emphasis on exposing more players from remote schools to the mainstream of football.The Coca-Cola Football Stars tournament involves over 100 schools countrywide and has set aside a handsome N$367 000 as prize money.The winning school will walk away with a massive N$80 000, with the runners-up in line for N$50 000, according to Namibia Beverages Limited operations manager India Katjivena.Katjivena said funds are also raised for each goal scored in the tournament.He said the money would be given to the Ministry of Health and Social Services for its HIV-AIDS programme.He said the tournament was also characteristic of its festive atmosphere, energy from the players and all roundfun.Last year, the tournament raised N$117 000 for the HIV-AIDS programme and Katjivena hopes that this figure will be exceeded this time around.Last year, the Okakarara Senior Secondary School won the championship.The tournament will be played in all 13 regions of the country, including schools from Tsumkwe.So far, the tournment has also seen one of the country’s players being involved in trials in South Africa in April this year.The player, who hails from Mariental, played infront of Real Madrid scouts, a Spanish footballing powerhouse, but did not make it into the last 15 players.He is said to have done remarkably well and his performance during the trials underlined the talent in Namibia, according to the managing director of Mindspace Africa, Wayne Kugkwane.Mindspace Africa has been contracted by Coca Cola to run the tournment.The win by the school, which is about 20 kilometres north of Windhoek, follows the official launch of the competition by Minister of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, John Mutorwa.At the launch, Mutorwa called for players to show discipline and warned that the ones who failed to abide by the rules, would be expelled from the event.He said most of the players who will be competing in the nationwide tournament are future players of the various national teams and it was important for them to show discipline at a young age.”Players should behave while they participate.Indiscipline cannot be tolerated.Players who are undisciplined will be kicked out of the tournament,” he said.Mutorwa emphasised the importance of hosting such a tournament for schools and thanked Coca Cola for sponsoring such a great initiative for the past four years.He said his ministry has been involved with the programme for the past three years and was hoping for the tournament to grow, but with the emphasis on exposing more players from remote schools to the mainstream of football.The Coca-Cola Football Stars tournament involves over 100 schools countrywide and has set aside a handsome N$367 000 as prize money.The winning school will walk away with a massive N$80 000, with the runners-up in line for N$50 000, according to Namibia Beverages Limited operations manager India Katjivena.Katjivena said funds are also raised for each goal scored in the tournament.He said the money would be given to the Ministry of Health and Social Services for its HIV-AIDS programme.He said the tournament was also characteristic of its festive atmosphere, energy from the players and all roundfun.Last year, the tournament raised N$117 000 for the HIV-AIDS programme and Katjivena hopes that this figure will be exceeded this time around.Last year, the Okakarara Senior Secondary School won the championship.The tournament will be played in all 13 regions of the country, including schools from Tsumkwe.So far, the tournment has also seen one of the country’s players being involved in trials in South Africa in April this year.The player, who hails from Mariental, played infront of Real Madrid scouts, a Spanish footballing powerhouse, but did not make it into the last 15 players.He is said to have done remarkably well and his performance during the trials underlined the talent in Namibia, according to the managing director of Mindspace Africa, Wayne Kugkwane.Mindspace Africa has been contracted by Coca Cola to run the tournment.