Ubuntu Football

Congratulations to Aiden February, Rhys Ferguson and Ishaam Tilling on being selected for the 2024 School U15 National Team squad. This squad of twenty players (made up of school boys from across the country) will head to Namibia in early September to compete in the CAF African Schools Championship. We wish our boys and the whole team all the best as they represent South Africa next month #ubuntufootball #academy #school #football #travel #africa #caf #safa #capetown #southafrica #citizensofsignificance

Last week five of our players were selected to represent the Western Cape in the National Schools Championship round of the Pan Africa Championship. Congratulations to Aiden February, Rhys Ferguson, Ishaam Tilling, Joshua Langeveldt and Amyoli Nxazonke on being selected for this team and a particular mention to Aiden February who was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament. While the Western Cape finished 6th in this part of the competition there is a chance some of our boys might be selected for the zonal championship which will take place in Namibia in September #ubuntufootball #academy #excellence #youthdevelopment #soccer #westerncape #capetown #southafrica #citizensofsignificance

Some of our Ubuntu grads were busy taking on Premier League youth players last week, competing with Stellenbosch Football Club in the Premier League Next Generation Cup. Stellenbosch overcame Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur’s and Crystal Palace in the group phase (winning each game 1-0) before beating Spurs again in the final with our boys Shaakir and Bailey getting the decisive goals in a 2-0 win. What a fantastic experience for these men with the opportunity to showcase the talent that South Africa has. Congratulations to Dejean, Bailey, Lega, Shaakir and Zenden on their individual performances and team success. #ubuntufootball #academy #youthdevelopment #premierleague #nextgen #trophy #success #winning #capetown #southafrica #citizensofsignificance

This term in our Future Ready program (which seeks to equip our students with skills, values and mindsets for life after Ubuntu) we’re focusing on leadership and how we can lead in our community contexts. This morning two of our Grade 12s - Gavario and Deshaun - with the support of Sarah, demonstrated this by leading a session with their fellow classmates and the Grade 11s on the topic of leadership; sharing encouragement from their own lives and explaining how their faith has inspired them to lead. They then facilitated group discussion and challenged their peers to consider the legacy they want to leave at Ubuntu. We’re really proud of these young men for the initiative they took to lead this session and trusting that each of our students will live lives that positively impact those around them. #ubuntufootball #academy #leadershipdevelopment #faith #initiative #community #capetown #southafrica #citizensofsignificance

Yesterday our staff and students were incredibly blessed on Mandela Day with one of our generous partners - Clicks Group and the Helping Hands Trust - hosting a day of celebration and learning. In addition to educational and inspirational talks from guest speakers, CLICKS and their partners provided delicious food and coffee, nurses on hand to provide blood pressure and sugar tests, a dental check up from Colgate-Palmolive and spaces to discuss nutrition and career guidance with professionals in those fields (including professors from University of the Western Cape). There was also a photo-booth which was VERY well used by both students and staff alike… We so appreciate donors like CLICKS who reflect Mandela's values and principles and who make a positive impact in communities, not only through the financial support that they give us as an organisation, but by seeking to support and add value to our program in fun, creative ways. We are grateful!

We are delighted to share that our graduate - Munashe Garananga - signed with FC Copenhagen last week and is now settling into preseason with his new club. Munashe’s journey in the last 3 years has taken him from Ocean View to Copenhagen via experiences of European football in Belarus, Moldova and - until recently - Belgium, and he’s also been recently called up to the Zimbabwean National team this year. “I am so thankful for this opportunity and it’s something they I have prayed and worked hard for”, said Munashe. “I’m really grateful for the tools that brought my dreams to reality, which is my family and Ubuntu, and everyone else who helped me reach this stage”. It’s not all been plain-sailing for Munashe with the COVID pandemic delaying his pathway to the top, though he reflected that he’s “more than happy it happened this way, because it made me a tougher person mentally, and the mental strength is always what keeps you going”. We look forward to seeing Munashe continue his development in the Danish league this season. #ubuntufootball #graduate #pro #youthdevelopment #patience #prayer #hardwork #capetown #southafrica #citizensofsignificance

On Saturday afternoon, our U16s took on defending Champions - Cape Town Spurs - in the Bayview Youth Cup Final. After taking an early lead, our boys managed to win the game (despite playing with 10 men for 60% of the game) and finished the tournament with strong statistics of: Played - 7 Won - 7 Scored - 24 Conceded - 0 Huge congratulations to the boys and Coach Yannick and the coaching team on an impressive showing throughout this tournament. We look forward to adding the trophy to our newly installed trophy cabinet in the new term (pictures to follow in Term 3!) #ubuntufootball #academy #trophies #winning #success #family #togetherness #ubuntu #iambecauseweare #citizensofsignificance #capetown #southafrica

On Wednesday evening, we gathered our Ubuntu Family together for a family meeting. These meetings provide us with a great opportunity to cast vision, invite questions and feedback from families, and celebrate our current players’ achievements and our graduates’ journeys. They also present us with a moment to connect as an Ubuntu family as a whole - with parents, players and our staff from across all departments attending. We believe that having fun together is a brilliant way to connect, and so these nights always include a team game. This week’s game of ‘relay charades’ proved to be a lot of fun, but it also gave evidence to suggest that our players’ competitive spirit and insatiable appetite to win is both a product of nature and nurture .i.e. it’s clearly in their families’ DNA 🧬 and our own staff definitely have a hand in developing it too… 👀 What a joy and privilege to be a part of this Ubuntu family. Our thanks to Gracefields Church, Fish Hoek for once again hosting us 🙏 #ubuntufootball #academy #iambecauseweare #family #team #fun #connect #celebration #vision #capetown #southafrica #citizensofsignificance

Our hopes of winning the ENGEN KnockOut Competition sadly came to an end on Sunday afternoon in the semi final against eventual winners, Stellenbosch FC. In a tight, hard-fought fixture, a late, solitary goal for Stellenbosch was enough to send us to the 3rd/4th playoff against Cape Town Spurs (which our boys would go on to win 2-1). While the group was disappointed not to progress to the final, we’re proud of them for securing our fifth consecutive semi-final appearance in this competition and for our overall 3rd place finish. But even more than that, we’re proud of the way that they played throughout the competition. “Considering we had the youngest squad in the competition with two 14 year olds and five 15 year olds who all started our quarter final, we were brave in possession, adapted to the physicality and competed excellently”, said Coach Kris Bergman. “Unfortunately we didn’t score as many goals as our created chances warranted, but that’s something we can work on and keep developing. There were many positive signs of unity and support of one another and as long as they stay open to learning and remain grounded the future is bright for this group of young men.” We are looking forward to seeing how these players - both individually and collectively - develop in the coming years #ubuntufootball #academy #engen #capetown #southafrica #youthdevelopment #family #growth #positivity #excellence #honour #citizensofsignificance

This weekend our U18s will be competing in the Annual Engen Knockout Challenge - a tournament that holds some great memories for our graduates and for us as an Academy. Our current Academy players will be looking to create their own history this weekend and they would love your support! Head to the second image to see the schedule for our group stage matches that are being played on Friday afternoon and Saturday at Erica Park (knockout stages taking place on Sunday). See you on the sidelines! #ubuntufootball #academy #engen #tournament #iambecauseweare #citizensofsignificance #capetown #southafrica