Wolves crowned under-14 Tournament by the Sea champs

An all-round classy performance, teamwork and an ability to adapt in a tough competition, helped Wolverhampton FC lift the winners’ trophy, at the weekend’s under-14 Tournament By the Sea, at Strandfontein sports complex.

A highly-regarded outfit, Wolves certainly has the pedigree to compete with the best, coming into the tournament as CDFA under-14’ League, Grand Challenge and Knockout champions. They beat Santos 4-1 in last year's Grand Challenge final.

Wolves under-14 head coach, Derron Crouch and his trusty lieutenants, assistant coach Rashad Kruger and son Kayden guided the youngsters to a 2-0 win against Bayhill United in Sunday’s championship final match. 

Crouch has been coaching this team since 2022 when they were under-12 and stayed with the team when they moved up to under-14. division.

The bulk of his team has been playing together for the last four years, said Crouch, who has been with Wolves for 15 years, with both his sons practically growing up at the club before joining other academies. Kayden, he said, was roped in as extra support due to his experience in other youth tournaments, including the Engen Knockout Challenge, Coke Cup and the upcoming  Bayhill Premier Cup, in which he will feature for Hellenic.

“At Wolves, junior football is at the heart of everything we do,” said Crouch. “The hard work of our executive and all involved, is focused on uplifting and benefiting our young players. We encourage our senior teams to play an active role in supporting and mentoring the juniors, serving as positive role models,” he said.

Crouch’s charges got their campaign off to a cautious start, playing to a 1-all draw in their group stage matches against Cape District neighbours, Greenwood Athletic and Bayview. Once the nerves settled, they were able to find their rhythm, finishing top of the log in Group B, with a 4-1 win against Westridge FC.

In the last round of 16, they beat Fulham FC by the same margin, followed by a hard-fought 2-0 win in a tough quarter-final clash against D6 to set up a semi-final date against tournament favourites Cape Town Spurs. Leading 2-0 before Spurs pulled one back, the resolute Wolves defence stood its ground as the Urban Warriors threw everything and the kitchen sink at them.

An early goal in their championship final match against Bayhill, courtesy of Zaydt Johnson, who found the back net straight from a corner, caught everyone by surprise. Their second goal also came via a corner, this time by Safwaan Daniels, who scored off a cross from Ayolile Mdutyana.

“Our plan was to put pressure on them from the first whistle and not allow them to get into any kind of rhythm,” said Crouch.

“It was an amazing tournament to be part of and thanks to the organising committee for all their hard work,” he said. “This was a dream that became a reality and this amazing moment will live in all our minds forever,” he said.