Hoërskool Vryburger High Schools U17 football team advanced to the Northern Region Football Association league final after defeating local rivals Primrose Hill High School on penalties.

The semi-final clash, played at the Primrose Hill Sports Ground, saw the two sides locked at 1-1 at the end of regulation time.

**Vryburger held their nerve in the subsequent shoot-out, securing a 4-1 penalty victory to seal their spot in the title decider.**
Head coach Thabo Matebese, who is also an educator at the school, leads the team alongside assistant coaches Phiwokuhle Thwala and Tumisang Yephet Mahlake.

Vryburger reached the knockout stage after finishing second in Pool B, which set up their semi-final meeting against Pool As top contenders.

“We drew against Primrose High, and the game was very competitive,” said Matebese.

“From the first match of the league, our aim was to win, but it turned out to be a challenging season overall. Our most convincing result in the group stage was a 5-1 win over Vorentoe High School.”

Matebese reflected on the team’s path through the group stage, which included a 0-0 draw against Roodepoort High, a 1-1 draw against Hoërskool President, a 1-1 draw against Elspark High, and a dominant 5-1 victory over Vorentoe High School.

Vryburger will now face Hoërskool Elspark in the final, a rematch of their group-stage encounter that ended in a 1-1 draw.

The team is aiming to go one step further than last season, where they finished as runners-up after losing in the final.

Matebese noted that the recent success of the school’s rugby programme has served as extra motivation for the squad.

“Our preparations for the final have been going well, focusing heavily on conditioning and physical strength in case the match goes to extra time,” Matebese added.

“Previously, our boys’ teams have reached semi-finals and finals, but we haven’t been able to clinch the title. This year we want to win it.”

While the U17 boys continue their title pursuit, it was a tougher campaign for Vryburger’s other football divisions. Both the junior U15 boys and the girls’ team struggled to find form, with the girls losing all their group fixtures.

“We are rebuilding with the ladies team, and soon they will be a force.”
“Our juniors also dropped the ball this year, but the goal across all divisions remains long-term development,” said Matebese.