The 2013 Future Champions Gauteng international tournament kicks off

Johannesburg, Monday, 25th March 2013 – Clube Atletico Mineiro have got the defense of their 2013 Future Champions Gauteng title off to a winning start after a 2-1 success over Nigerian side Bridge FC at the Nike Football Training Centre in Pimville, Soweto, on Monday.

Atletico have won the last two installments of the competition and looked like one of the teams to beat again as they took a 2-0 half-time lead, thanks to a brace from Guilherme.

But credit to Bridge FC, as they fought until the end and they made it a nervy finish when Adebowale Ojo pulled a goal back for them.

Zambia’s K-Stars got the action under way on the first morning with a 2-1 success over SAFA Sedibeng, coming from behind to secure that victory. Mandla Grantsana had put the South Africans head, but goals from Kenny Chungu and Lacksom Bwalya gave Stars the win.

Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon flexed their muscles early in the tournament with a 4-0 victory over Johannesburg Secondary School. It was a wonderful performance from the visitors, who profited from goals by Lisandro Semedo (two), Matheus Pereira and Lucas Jamanca.

English side Everton played to a 1-1 draw with Qatar’s Aspire Academy, with the Liverpool-based side coming from behind to secure a point. Muaz al Abdien had put the Qataris ahead, but Calum Dyson equalised for The Toffees.

South Africa’s University of Pretoria claimed a slim 1-0 victory over Botswana side Young Zebras thanks to a goal from Dikgang Ngcobo, before their Tshwane neighbours SuperSport United defeated Mexican outfit Club Tijuana 2-0. Kwanele Zulu and Marcel Luck got the goals for Matsatsantsa.

The action continues on Tuesday with six more matches across the pools.

SAFA Sedibeng take on Sporting Lisbon in the early fixture at 09h45 with the South African side needing a draw at least to have any chance of making the semifinals.

K-Stars will take on Aspire Academy (11h00), while their will be an all-African battle as Young Zebras play Bridge FC (12h15).

Club Tijuana will look to get their campaign back on track when they face University of Pretoria (13h30, before Everton do battle with Johannesburg Secondary (15h00).

The final game of the day will see SuperSport United take on the mighty Atletico Mineiro (16h30), hoping to succeed where many have failed against the Brazilian side in the last few years.

The top teams in each of the groups advance to the semi-finals, with the other sides playing off for positions five to 12. The final of the competition will be held on Saturday.

MONDAY’S RESULTS:

SAFA Sedibeng 1 (Mandla Grantsana) K-Stars 2 (Kenny Chungu, Lacksom Bwalya)
Sporting Lisbon 4 (Lisandro Semedo 2, Matheus Pereira, Lucas Jamanca) Jo’burg Secondary School 0
Aspire Academy 1 (Muaz al Abdien) Everton 1 (Calum Dyson)
University of Pretoria 1 (Dikgang Ngcobo) Young Zebras 0
SuperSport United 2 (Kwanele Zulu, Marcel Luck) Club Tijuana 0
Atletico Mineiro 2 (Guilherme 2) Bridge FC 1 (Adebowale Ojo)

TUESDAY’S FIXTURES:

09h45 SAFA Sedibeng vs Sporting Lisbon
11h00 K-Stars vs Aspire Academy
12h15 Young Zebras vs Bridge FC
13h30 Univ of Pretoria vs Club Tijuana
15h00 Johannesburg Secondary vs Everton
16h30 SuperSport United vs Atletico Mineiro

STANDINGS

GROUP A P W D L GF GA PTS
Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) 1 1 0 0 4 0 3
K-Stars (Zambia) 1 1 0 0 2 1 3
SAFA Sedibeng (SA) 1 0 0 1 1 2 0
GROUP B P W D L GF GA PTS
Aspire Academy (Qatar) 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Everton (England) 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
Jo’burg Sec. School (SA) 1 0 0 1 0 4 0
GROUP C P W D L GF GA PTS
University of Pretoria (SA) 1 1 0 0 1 0 3
Young Zebras (Botswana) 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
Club Tijuana (Mexico) 1 0 0 1 0 2 0
GROUP D P W D L GF GA PTS
SuperSport United (SA) 1 1 0 0 2 0 3
Atletico Mineiro (Brazil) 1 1 0 0 2 1 3
Bridge FC (Nigeria) 1 0 0 1 1 2 0

TOURNAMENT STATS
Matches played: 6
Goals scored: 15
Biggest victory: Sporting Lisbon 4 Jo’burg Secondary School 0
Most goals in a game: 4 – Sporting Lisbon 4 Jo’burg Secondary School 0

Topscorers:

2 – Guilherme (Atletico Mineiro), Lisandro Semedo (Sporting Lisbon)

1 – Muaz al Abdien (Aspire Academy), Lacksom Bwalya (K-Stars), Kenny Chungu (K-Stars), Calum Dyson (Everton), Mandla Grantsana (SAFA Sedibeng), Lucas Jamanca (Sporting Lisbon), Marcel Luck (SuperSport United), Dikgang Ngcobo (University of Pretoria), Adebowale Ojo (Bridge FC), Matheus Pereira (Sporting Lisbon), Kwanele Zulu (SuperSport United)

  • We had a wonderful football and cultural experience in Gauteng. The tournament and activities were very well organized and we found everyone involved extremely helpful and accommodating. We have all returned home with fantastic memories of our time in South Africa, both on and off the pitch, and have made many new friends as a result of the trip. I hope that we are invited to participate in future tournaments.

    Everton Academy Head Coach

  • The experience both on and off the field for our players during the Future Champions tournament in Gauteng was life-enriching for all those who participated. We were privileged enough to win this edition but what will be bringing us back in future is the cross-cultural education our players receive from spending time with athletes from all over the world. They are human beings before they are football players and enriching them with other cultures is as rewarding as the experience they receive on the field.

    Club Tijuana Director of Football

  • After twenty years of experiencing tournaments around the globe, Future Champions is hands down the best organized, well run International Tournament we have ever participated in. Bringing teams from dozens of different countries provided our boys exposure to cultural diversity they only read about in textbooks. It’s amazing how sport can be the cultural link that provides the opportunity to interact with each other and discover that our global community is a bit smaller than they realized. We had a football and cultural experience that will be cherished for the rest of our lives.

    Director of USYSA Select

  • For us to compete in Future Champions is much more than playing a series of matches. It is an opportunity to compete and contrast our level against the best teams from around the world and the possibility of living in another culture and environment for an unforgettable week, learning about the history of the fight for human rights.

    Director of Aspire Academy

  • The addition of a girls’ competition this year is a natural expansion for what has become a hugely popular event. Over and above the football, the players are also exposed to life-skills courses and HIV/AIDS awareness that could end up saving their lives in the future. We have had an amazing partnership with the Gauteng Province over the last decade and we thank each and every stakeholder for making the Future Champions Gauteng campaign such a huge success

    Tournament director