Sylla Stun Sundowns’ School On Penalties In CAF Competition

Mamelodi Sundowns’ school, Clapham High School were unlucky not follow their senior side, losing the CAF African Schools Football Championship to Ben Sekou Sylla of Guinea by 5-4 on penalties.

They could not follow Sundowns senior side, who won the DStv Premiership title with seven games to spare, a record in the PSL era, after the game ended 1-1 in regulation time at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Durban.

Clapham reached the final after beating Sainte Rita, another Guinean side, 1-0 in the semi-final   

The inaugural tournament is sponsored by CAF president Patrice Motsepe, who is also the owner of Sundowns, but relinquished his post due to CAF high post in March 2021.   

Sylla walk away with $300,000 (R5 422 413 in current rate) and the stack of that money will be invested into the school.

Clapham, the feeder school of Sundowns, previously produced players such as Percy Tau, Cassius Mailula, Siphelele Mkhulise, the late Motjeka Madisha.

Based on their performance at the newly founded tournament, Sundowns look like they could dominate SA football for a long time because their next generation looked very good and comfortable on the ball.  

Clapham matched the visitors, but Amara Keita swept home in the 26th minute from close range after Kemoko Mara beat many opposition defenders hands down.

But Clapham did not lie down, stinging back through Kagiso Maloka four minutes later. The young man dummied his marker to the floor, before picking up the spot by blasting into the roof of the net.

The crowd turned up the volume, with Thula Mntanami Song singing loudly and joyously. Impressively, Clapham, aware of their tall counterparts, beat them with skill, especially in one-vs-one situations.      

But the game went to penalties, where they lost, with an emotional Clapham coach Simon Blangwe struggling to fight back the tears.