2015 Future Champions Gauteng tournament begins

The journey to the 2015 Future Champions Gauteng tournament begins this weekend when the Schools Cup takes centre-stage at the Hillview High School in Pretoria on Saturday (31st January 2015).

Sixteen of the top school sides in the Province will compete in the hope of reaching the semi-finals and in doing so qualify for the Future Champions Gauteng Cup – the second stage on the path to the International Tournament.

The tournament, organised by Global Sports International in conjunction with Gauteng’s Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, and Department of Education, as well as the South African Schools Football Association, will be played over a single day with the 16 sides split into four pools each containing four sides.

It will showcase the best of the young talent in the Province and provide the learners with the opportunity to enter the limelight and bring success to their schools.

“The Future Champions Schools Cup is the start of a wonderful journey for these learners and we hope that on this day we will be seeing the future stars of South African football. In the Gauteng province we are aiming to make 2015 a year of improvement and gains in all sectors of our society and for that reason I am sure that this year’s Schools Cup will be the most competitive and most enjoyable yet. Together we move Gauteng City Region Forward,” Gauteng Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation MEC, Ms Molebatsi Bopape, said.

The draw for the tournament was made in early January and Pool A contains Fumuna Comprehensive High School, Lamola Secondary School, Lawley Secondary School and MH Baloyi Technical Commercial School, while Pool B sees Clapham High School, Esokwazi High School, MOM Seboni High School and regular competitors Rosina Sedibane Sport School.

The 2012 Schools Cup winners Mohloli Secondary School headline Pool C along with Dan Kutumela Secondary School, Pretoria Technical High School and Johannesburg Secondary School.

Pool D contains Mosupatsela Secondary School, Tetelo Secondary School, Sagewood School and defending champions, the Sports School of Excellence.

The winners of each pool will advance to the semi-finals where the competition takes on a regular knockout format, and also win their place at the Gauteng Cup.

Tournament Director Ray Whelan, the brains behind the Future Champions Gauteng concept, says they are delighted to be back in South Africa for another year.

“Our partnership with the Gauteng Province now stretches back six years and we continue to see our tournaments grow in stature and importance. We are honoured to give the young learners of Gauteng the opportunity to build a path to take them to a career as professional footballers and we look forward to seeing the talent on display this year,” Mr Whelan said.

The four semi-finalists of the Future Champions Schools Cup will qualify to participate in the Future Champions Gauteng Cup, which also features the twelve Gauteng-based professional clubs (U17).

The four semi-finalists from that competition will then win their place in the prestigious Future Champions Gauteng International tournament that will feature some of the top Under-17 sides from around the world.

That tournament will be played from March 23-28.

FUTURE CHAMPIONS SCHOOLS CUP – FIXTURES

POOL A
Fumana Comprehensive High School
Lamola Secondary School
Lawley Secondary School
MH Baloyi Technical Commercial School

09h00 (Field 1): Fumana CH School vs Lamola Secondary
09h00 (Field 2): Lawley Secondary vs MH Baloyi
11h10 (Field 1): Lamola Secondary vs MH Baloyi
11h10 (Field 2): Lawley Secondary vs Fumuna CH School
13h20 (Field 1): Lawley Secondary vs Lamola Secondary
13h20 (Field 2): Fumana CH School vs MH Baloyi

POOL B
Clapham High School
Esokwazi High School
MOM Seboni High School
Rosina Sedibane Sport School

10h05 (Field 1): Clapham High vs Esokwazi High
10h05 (Field 2): MOM Seboni vs Rosina Sedibane
12h15 (Field 1): Esokwazi High vs Rosina Sedibane
12h15 (Field 2): MOM Seboni vs Clapham High
14h30 (Field 1): MOM Seboni vs Esokwazi High
14h30 (Field 2): Clapham High vs Rosina Sedibane

POOL C
Mohloli Secondary School
Dan Kutumela Secondary School
Pretoria Technical High School
Johannesburg Secondary School

09h00 (Field 3): Mohloli Secondary vs Dan Kutumela
09h00 (Field 4): Pretoria Technical vs Johannesburg Secondary
11h10 (Field 3): Dan Kutumela vs Johannesburg Secondary
11h10 (Field 4): Pretoria Technical vs Mohloli Secondary
13h20 (Field 3): Pretoria Technical vs Dan Kutumela
13h20 (Field 4): Mohloli Secondary vs Johannesburg Secondary

POOL D
Mosupatsela Secondary School
Tetelo Secondary School
Sagewood School
SAFA School of Excellence

10h05 (Field 3): Mosupatsela Secondary vs Tetelo Secondary
10h05 (Field 4): Sagewood vs School of Excellence
12h15 (Field 3): Tetelo Secondary vs School of Excellence
12h15 (Field 4): Sagewood vs Mosupatsela Secondary
14h30 (Field 3): Sagewood vs Tetelo Secondary
14h30 (Field 4): Mosupatsela Secondary vs School of Excellence

  • 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