South Africa Name Their Kids for the First-Ever Youth Hockey5s World Cup
There’s a new World Cup coming, and South Africa’s schoolkids are in it. The first-ever FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup runs in Ismailia, Egypt, this December, and South Africa have named the two U18 squads, ten boys and ten girls, who’ll play it.
They earned the right the hard way. At the African qualifier in Kenya in August, South Africa’s girls beat the hosts 11-6 in the final to take gold. The boys lost their final to the same opponents, Kenya, 6-5. Both finalists in both events qualified, so Kenya go to Egypt too, while Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana miss out.
The boys: almost a brand-new team
Here’s the striking part. Only two of the boys who played the qualifiers have kept their places: Hoosen Jabber of Parktown Boys’ High and Jay-Dee Carolus of Krugersdorp High. The rest of the squad has been picked on school-season form, which tells you how seriously coach Michael Baker of Paul Roos Gimnasium has taken the domestic year.
Goalkeeper Morero Gumbi (Pretoria Boys High) comes in, Caleb Cilliers (Paul Roos) and Luc Boyall (Northwood) lead the attack, and there’s real depth from the big hockey schools: Kamohelo Tsoka (King Edward VII), Kade Lottering (Jeppe), Stephan Malan (Parel Vallei), Paarl Boys’ captain Martin De Bruyn, and Kean Cornelissen of Affies, who’s also a highly rated indoor player. Hockey5s is a fast, small-sided game that rewards exactly that mix of stick skill and indoor instincts.
Boys’ squad: Morero Gumbi (Pretoria Boys High), Hoosen Jabber (Parktown Boys’ High), Caleb Cilliers (Paul Roos Gimnasium), Luc Boyall (Northwood), Kamohelo Tsoka (King Edward VII), Kade Lottering (Jeppe), Stephan Malan (Parel Vallei), Martin De Bruyn (Paarl Boys’ High), Kean Cornelissen (Affies), Jay-Dee Carolus (Krugersdorp High). Coach: Michael Baker. Manager: Pius Nkosi.
The girls: the champions keep their core
The girls’ side, coached by Nolwazi Nkabinde of St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, keeps the spine of the team that won in Kenya. Danville Park’s Codie Bestbier, who captained the side at the qualifier, goes again. Goalkeeper Annika Kloppers of Menlopark is in, with Ziyanda Mchunu, Asanele Zuma, Claire Volschenk, Xylia Choene, Lucy Holderness, Martina Jonker, Azania Peterson and Kiyara Constable completing the ten.
Girls’ squad: Ziyanda Mchunu (St Mary’s DSG, Kloof), Annika Kloppers (Die Hoërskool Menlopark), Codie Bestbier (Danville Park Girls’ High), Claire Volschenk (Eunice), Asanele Zuma (Durban Girls’ College), Lucy Holderness (DSG Makhanda), Martina Jonker (Potchefstroom Gimnasium), Azania Peterson (St Andrew’s School for Girls), Xylia Choene (Oranje), Kiyara Constable (Pearson High).
The tournament isn’t just matches, either. Players and officials will also take part in development and education programmes modelled on the Youth Olympic Games, which is the FIH treating Hockey5s as its shop window for the next generation of the sport.
For our money, that’s the right way to launch it. A first World Cup in a new format, decided by teenagers from school programmes, with Kenya and South Africa carrying Africa’s flag. December in Ismailia is suddenly a date worth circling.
