Soccer, the forgotten sport at SA’s top boys’ schools, has a new festival

The APBSA Soccer Festival was launched to give boys’ school football the same recognition as traditional sports such as rugby, cricket and hockey.

Fifteen schools gathered at Pretoria Boys’ High School for the second festival, focusing on participation, sportsmanship and relationships rather than winning alone.

Organisers said the event aims to grow football in boys’ schools while creating opportunities for players from across South Africa.

South Africa’s top boys’ schools are turning their attention to football as the Association of Public Boys’ Schools of South Africa (APBSA) looks to give the sport a bigger platform in a landscape traditionally dominated by rugby, cricket and hockey.

The second annual APBSA Football Festival, hosted by Pretoria Boys’ High School, brought together 15 schools from across the country with organisers emphasising participation, sportsmanship and relationships over competition.

The schools include Pretoria Boys’ High School, Grey College, Kimberley Boys’ High School, Glenwood High School, Jeppe High School for Boys, Dale College, Springs Boys’ High School, King Edward VII School (KES), Parktown Boys’ High School, Wynberg Boys’ High School, Potchefstroom High School for Boys, Rondebosch Boys’ High School, St Andrew’s School, Queen’s College Boys’ High School, and Northwood School.

The festival was created after organisers identified a gap in boys’ school sport, where football players did not always receive the same opportunities and exposure as those involved in rugby, cricket, hockey and other established codes.

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“The soccer boys weren’t getting a decent show,” said APBSA chief executive Tim Gordon.

He added:

There was nothing that gave them the opportunity to get the same sort of profile in their school as some of the other sports.

The idea originated with the head of KES in Johannesburg and was later developed at the APBSA board level.

“We wanted it to be a festival, not a tournament,” Gordon said.

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A key difference is the focus on inclusion.

Rolling substitutions are used to ensure every player gets time on the field, rather than only the strongest players being selected for match time.

“It wasn’t going to be the stars sitting there while the reserves got nothing out of it,” he said.

The festival does not award a winning team. Instead, referees recognise the school that best demonstrates sportsmanship and respect for opponents.

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Pretoria Boys’ High School head of soccer, Heleen Opperman, said the format was designed to shift the focus away from results.

“It’s not about who wins or loses. There’s no trophy, no medal, no award ceremony,” she said.

“One of the only things that we hand out is for the team with the best sportsmanship, because that’s really what we want to focus on.”

The festival also aims to bring together schools from different provinces and backgrounds.

For St Andrew’s Combined School, Bloemfontein, coach Elliot Motseki, the event offers players the chance to compete against new opponents while building relationships.

Motseki said:

The fact that it’s a festival and not a tournament explains that we’re not here to compete and fight each other.

“We’re here to make friendships, build relationships and learn from one another.”

The festival has also provided an opportunity for schools where football has traditionally had less prominence to grow the sport.

Khaya Thomo from the Pretoria Boys’ High organising team said football was often overlooked in boys’ schools compared with other codes.

“Football is not as big in boys’ schools, so this is one of those festivals that can actually kickstart what boys’ schools need from a football perspective,” he said.

He said the event could help develop future players by exposing pupils to different styles of play and creating opportunities for scouts to identify talent.

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“There are scouts here from professional clubs and scouts from other schools that want to see some of our boys,” he said.

“It’s a great opportunity for the boys, especially those who want to make it professionally.”

For players, the festival has been about testing themselves against unfamiliar opposition while learning from other schools.

Queen’s College captain Qhamani Tanda said travelling from the Eastern Cape had exposed the team to different playing styles.

“It’s a different experience because coming from the Eastern Cape, it’s a different system and a different playing style,” he said.

“We try to adapt to the systems that the other schools are using. It helps us understand how to be versatile as players.”

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Wynberg Boys’ High School captain Abdul-Qaadir Walters said the experience had also challenged players physically, with conditions in Gauteng differing from those in Cape Town.

“The grass is obviously harder, and the heat is different,” he said.

However, he said the biggest highlight remained playing alongside his teammates.

Walters said:

What I enjoy most about playing soccer is my team. We have Grade 12 boys and boys from each grade, but we’re all together.

For APBSA, the festival represents a broader goal of creating more inclusive opportunities in schools.

“Our motto is raising good men together because we know we’ve got to send good young men out into society,” Gordon said.

“If only some of them get the opportunity, then we’re not being fair.”

He said schools needed to preserve positive traditions while moving away from those that limited opportunities for pupils.

“The good traditions can stay, but bad traditions must go,” Gordon said.

As the festival continues to grow, organisers hope it will become a permanent fixture on the school sports calendar.

Opperman said the aim was for schools to look forward to the event each year.

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“My hope is that this becomes something that people and schools genuinely look forward to,” she said.

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