26 July 2007

South African Premier Soccer League club Lamontville Golden Arrows is sending an under-12, under-14 and under-17 team to the Czech Republic to compete in an annual international tournament organised by Czech first division side Hradec Kralove.

Durban-based Arrows will be the first African club to take part in the Cez Cup, which runs from 3 to 5 August and this year also features teams from Slovakia and the United Arab Emirates.

Sparta Prague, 34 times the Czech champions, have offered Arrows the use of their facilities during the tournament.

Czech reporting on World Cup 2010
The players will be accompanied by Arrows MD and SA Football Association executive committee member Mato Madlala.

According to Mashisha Motsoko, second secretary at SA's embassy in Prague, Madlala will be visiting the embassy to brief the Czech media on South Africa's preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Motsoko reckons the locals are unsure of what to make of Arrows' visit, as they have had no experience of African teams before - an advantage the Durban club will be hoping to take into the tournament.

SA soccer juniors shine
South African age-group teams have been making some noise overseas of late, something Arrows' juniors will be hoping to emulate.

In May, a South African under-14 team emerged victorious in a tournament, featuring teams from each of the six Fifa confederations, held to mark the opening of Fifa's new headquarters in Zurich.

Even more impressive was South Africa's performance in the eighth edition of the Danone Nations Cup, which took place earlier this month and saw teams from 40 countries in action.

Just qualifying for the Danone Nations Cup, the premier international tournament for 10- to 12-year-olds, is a feat in itself. National competitions take place in each country, with the winner going on to the tournament in France.

South Africa's representative at the 2007 tournament, the Soweto Panthers, dominated their opposition, beating Argentina in the quarterfinals, Turkey in the semifinals and France in the final.

The Panthers romped to a 3-0 win in the title decider, ending the tournament without conceding a goal while netting 17 times in total.

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	South Africa's Soweto Panthers celebrate after winning the final of the 2007 Danone Nations Cup, the premier international football event for players aged 10-12. South Africa also won the inaugural competition in 2003 (Photo: Danone Nations Cup)

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	PSL: Golden Arrows  Cez Cup 2007  SA Embassy in Prague

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