Curro’s Meridian Cosmo City kicked off three days of sporting action this past weekend, hosting their annual Sports Festival from Thursday, 6 June to Saturday 8 June 2024. The school has been at the forefront of nurturing and empowering young sports stars with successes in both the soccer and netball arenas.  The event featured more than 500 learners from various schools with the South African soccer legend, Pitso Mosimane present on Friday and Saturday to witness firsthand the progress made by these promising soccer stars. Meridian Cosmo City is one of two Curro schools to first implement the Pitso Mosimane Soccer Schools Programme (PMSS) in 2023.

Pitso handing over medal to Meridian Cosmo City learner

Throughout the festival, a phenomenal 588 medals were awarded to participants, recognising their achievements in various categories including gold, silver, bronze, and copper. Among the standout performances, Meridian Cosmo City emerged victorious in both the Under 15 Girls and Under 15 Boys categories. The under 15 boys team survived a tense penalty shootout during a Super Saturday knockout tournament to successfully defend their championship title.

Pitso Mosimane with medals

There were impressive wins in the primary school teams too, with Cosmo City Junior School securing victory in the under 13 girls’ category having netted a strong goal tally, while Nooitgedacht Laerskool emerged victorious in the under 13 boys’ division. Nooitgedacht Laerskool clinched the win in the under 11 girls’ category, while Sweet Valley School claimed the top spot in the under 11 boys’ category.

Meridian Cosmo City Boys Under 15 Champions Back row ( left to right): Keamogetswe Matlhatsi, Neo Mokgetle, ⁠Amogelang Ditsoane, Evan Nakin, ⁠Neo Funani, Benjamin Senama, Thabo Matshele and Siyanda Thusini.Front row ( left to right): Donald Boikhutso, ⁠Chimaobi Onyedire, Bandile Zulu, Elwiey Mafara, Tinyiko Gwangwa, Thapelo Rathobela, Khano Matumba and Mmeli Ngonyama.

Playing Ball in front of the Best

The presence of the illustrious South African coach and football icon Pitso Mosimane, added an extra layer of excitement to the event. Reflecting on the success of the festival, Coach Pitso remarked, “We are humbled by the opportunity Meridian Cosmo City has given us in hosting the programme. There are visible improvements in the skill sets displayed by the young players – thank you to the PMSS coaches. We are looking forward to next year’s offering of the festival.” Since PMSS’ pilot phase in two schools, the programme has expanded to include ten additional Curro schools this year, demonstrating its growing impact on developing the skills, knowledge and discipline of learners aged between 6 and 18.

Sinokuhle Mathebula and Coach Pitso