The Defy Schools Challenge took to East London’s Mndanstane township this past weekend as the AmaZulu Community Trust and Defy continued on their quest to unearth raw football talent throughout the country.

The Sisa Dukashe Stadium played host to an exciting spectacle of grassroots football on Saturday 20 September 2014. The event was won by SEK Mnqayi High School after overcoming Zenzani High School with a supreme goal difference after the match finished 2-2 in the final.

Both SEK Mnqayi and Zenzani finished with 7 points while David Mama High School and East London High School finished with just one point each.

A day before the tournament all participating schools attended a coaching and life skills workshop.

“It’s an exciting project for young football hopefuls of Mndantsane because they got to benefit from what Defy and the Community Trust have to offer in the same way that the other KZN regions have.

“We’re glad that football lovers in Mndantsane came out to watch what their area has to offer,” said the AmaZulu Community Trust Programs Manager, Mpho Dintwa.

AmaZulu Head of Scouting, Joel Faya, was also on the lookout for standout players in an effort to draft them into the Usuthu youth set up.

The Ladysmith edition, which was played on 13 September 2014, was won by Ekukhuleni High School who beat Qophindlela High School in the final with 7 points while Qophindlela had only 5 points. The four team tournament was played over a round robin format.

The tournament is a joint effort from Defy and the AmaZulu Community Trust to use football development as a means to bring about awareness of social ills affecting the community, for example: bullying, teenage pregnancy and alcohol abuse in schools.

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