2012 Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament

Johannesburg, Thursday, 8 March 2012 – Gauteng Provincial Government will once again welcome clubs from all over the world when they descend on Mzansi to participate in the 2012 Future Champions Gauteng, one of the most prestigious Under-17 tournaments on the global calendar.

Joining the 12-strong field this year will be USA franchise New England Revolution and Uruguayan outfit Nacional.
New England Revolution is one of the top sides in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the USA, having reached the competition final on four previous occasions, though each time without success.

They are coached by former USA international Jay Heaps and count among their playing staff Colombian international striker José Moreno and USA stars midfielder Benny Feilhaber.

Their past stars include legendary USA internationals Alexi Lalas and Joe-Max Moore, and current American striker Clint Dempsey who is a regular goal scorer for Fulham in the English Premiership.

“The New England Revolution is thrilled to be a part of this prestigious international tournament. We look forward to competing against the other clubs as well as experiencing the beauty and hospitality of South Africa, and Gauteng in particular,” says New England Revolution Director of Youth Coaching, Bryan Scales.

Nacional are from the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo and are one of the most successful sides on the South American continent, having won the Copa Libertadores on three occasions.

They have won an astounding 43 national championships since their formation in 1899, and have an incredible 144 trophy wins in all competitions in that time. They are also the reigning League champions in Uruguay.

The club holds a special piece of Uruguayan football history – in 1903 they supplied all the players for the national side that beat Argentina 3-2 in a first ever international for the country.

The current side is managed by former Argentine international Marcelo Gallardo and they have a thriving junior set-up that has won a staggering 83 trophies in the club’s history, from Under-14 level through to Under-23.

“It’s a new and great experience for our young players to visit Gauteng in South Africa, surely we´ll enjoy this trip, and of course, we’ll go for the win in this prestigious tournament,” says the club’s Under-17 coach Roberto Roo.

The 2012 competition will also feature a Schools Cup, where the top two placed sides will take on PSL’s best in the hope of securing a spot in the annual international showpiece. The Schools Cup will be hosted on March 10, followed by the lucrative Gauteng Cup on March 17 and 18.

The international tournament will begin with a group stage, with each of the 12 participating teams divided into four groups of three. Each team will play every other team within the group, plus one crossover game with a team from another group.

The group stage matches will take place from Monday, March 26 to Wednesday, March 28, with one game each day. The play-offs and placing games are scheduled for Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31.

  • 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