FOTOS: Victory lap for Orlando Pirates after winning Future Champions Gauteng International tournament
For the second year running, the Future Champions Gauteng also featured a girls' competition.
Nike Centre has this past week hosted the 11th edition of the prestigious Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament, which finally kicked off on Monday, March 25, a continued celebration of excellence in the Under-17 age group as teams from all over the world competed for the coveted trophy.
Orlando Pirates FC became the first ever South African winners of the Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament when they edged Russian visitors FC Spartak 8-7 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the final this past Saturday.
Organised by Global Sports International, in partnership with the Gauteng Provincial Government, the tournament featured four local sides and eight teams from four different continents around the world.
The three Gauteng clubs, who earned their place in the tournament after qualifying from the Future Champions Gauteng Cup, were Bidvest Wits, Orlando Pirates FC and Kaizer Chiefs, all returned for a second successive year, joined by a SAFA Gauteng invitational side made up of other players who excelled at the Gauteng Cup.
The quartet was also joined by an exceptional international field that featured defending champions Club Brugge (Belgium), RCD Espanyol de Barcelona (Spain), Reggio Audace (Italy), Spartak FC (Russia), Club Tijuana (Mexico) and a side from the All India Football Federation.
The final two overseas entrants were Beijing Sinobo Guoan FC (China) and a Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) All-Stars side.
For the second year running, the Future Champions Gauteng also featured a girls’ competition.
The Gauteng Department of Education’s Acting Chief Education Specialist: School Sport and Extra Curricular Coordination, Mr Marius Venter believes the Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament provides the right kind of platform for youngsters on and off the pitch.
“Football is obviously the focus of the Future Champions Gauteng campaign, but beyond that, the various education programmes that have been run alongside the competition has given our young stars vital life-skills training that should prove invaluable to them in the future,” said Mr Venter.
Tournament Director, Mr Ray Whelan of Global Sports International, added: “I must give credit to the Gauteng Province and all of our partners for helping us to reach this, our 11th edition of the Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament. It is amazing to see how this event has grown since 2009 and we are delighted to have a competition for young women footballers for the second year running. We have had many successes down the years and look forward to seeing the young talent on display again.”
This year’s Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament will also be supported by Clinix Health, Rand Water, Lovelife, Sedgars Sport and Score Energy Drink.
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