Slick LRC U13 team are new Map Games
ALEXANDRA - The LRC U13 side are crowned champions of the 2017 Map Games.
New champions of the U13 division of the 2017 Map Games, LRC are certainly a team of the future that can easily fill the big void left by the departure of the U13 stars of Malandela Mighty Heroes and Real Madrid.
These stars of Heroes and Madrid who now play in higher divisions have been entertaining football fans in Alexandra for years with their nimble feet and dribbling wizardry. They have been the drawcard for many fans of the beautiful game who thronged the various Alex stadia to watch these two sides in action.
Most of those stars now play in the U17 division of their respective teams and continue to impress while others have moved on and joined the various academies of top sides in Alexandra.
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Some of them, such as Sithuli Zulu, popularly known as ‘Kalawa’, who has since joined the Alex Black Aces Academy in Linksfield while his teammates, Tshepang ‘Messi’ Phala and Katlego Botopela have remained with Mighty Heroes.
Another of their stars, known only as ‘Two Litre’, has since returned to his home province of Limpopo and joined Baroka FC Academy while Real Madrid’s Dineo ‘Waka-Waka’ Ntsimane is at the Lions of the North Academy of Highlands Park.
Ntsimane’s teammate, Tshepang ‘Computer’ Mabokela, an Iphutheng Primary School pupil, remains at Real Madrid’s U15 side and is one of the players to watch for the future.
But the LRC side has its own fair share of talented stars in its line-up, one of which is Knowledge Masuluke, a Zenzeleni Primary School pupil who captains the school side which participated in the Danone Nations Cup Gauteng finals, though they were disqualified for age cheating.
Masuluke rose to prominence in the Discovery Alex U12 Schools League late last year when he banged in the goals and led his school team to a silver medal after a scintillating performance.
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Masuluke was the engine that powered his side to 3–1 victory over Alex Royal Tigers SC in the final of the 2017 Map Games.
LRC coach Bandile Thindleni was not available to share his winning strategy but his counterpart at defending champions, Tigers, Tiger Matholengwe said his new U13 team was still work in progress.
“Watch them next year, as they will all still qualify as U13s. They will be a force to be reckoned with. They currently occupy the top spot in their league, which I am hopeful they will defend,” Matholengwe said.
