By McGeorge Mbare
IVINAR Academy were crowned Matabeleland South Provincial NASH U17 Boys champions after edging Phakamani 1-0 in a tightly contested final on Thursday, 9 July 2026 at Zezani High School, Beitbridge.
The NASH U17 tournament was played at Zezani High School from 8 to 9 July 2026 in Beitbridge West.
The new champions navigated a tough Group B campaign. They opened with a 1-1 draw against Beitbridge side Vhembe High School, before hammering Mzunyathini 4-1. Vhembe also beat Mzunyathini 2-0, however Ivinar’s superior goal difference saw them top the group.
Phakamani had been the team to watch in Group A. They secured a 1-0 win over the hosts and NASH national 2025 reigning champions Zezani High School, then repeated the identical 1-0 win against Gwanda Government High.
Zezani responded with a 4-0 thrashing of Gwanda Government High, courtesy of Thinkita Muleya’s hat-trick and Obester Sithole’s goal, but it was not enough to get the defending champions out of the group stages.
Group C was the tightest of all. Thekwane beat Bengo 2-1, before playing out a 0-0 draw with Matopo. Matopo went on to beat Bengo 2-0 to finish top of the group.
In the semi-finals, Phakamani and Matopo played out a 2-2 draw in regular time, before Phakamani prevailed 7-6 on penalties. In the other semi, Ivinar Academy defeated Beitbridge representatives Vhembe High School 2-1 to book their place in the final against Phakamani.
In the Matabeleland South Provincial NASH Competitions 2026 final, Ivinar went on to break Phakamani hearts with a solitary goal to lift the provincial title and book their spot at the 2026 National NASH Championships.
The early exit of Beitbridge’s Zezani means a new champion, Ivinar, will represent Matabeleland South at the nationals and the national championship will also witness a new champion as the defending champions fell short early in their journey.
In an interview with, Ziyah News Network, Zezani High sports master George Mageleza said, “We have lost in the group stages. The boys were not able to handle the high pressure from their opponents because every team is always looking forward to defeating a champion.”
For the third consecutive year, Matabeleland South has produced three different provincial champions. One of them was from Beitbridge proudly Zezani in 2025. The 2026 title now goes to Ivinar Secondary School from Insiza District.
Following Nkankezi’s U20 girls winning the championship yesterday, and Ivinar U17 boys being crowned champions, it means Insiza District has managed to produce two champion schools that will represent Matabeleland South Province in 2026