Plucky SuperSport swept aside

IT WAS the game many people were waiting for yesterday SuperSport United against Brazil’s Atletico Mineiro on the opening day of the under-17 Gauteng Future Champions International Tournament in Soweto. The action on the pitch certainly delivered up to its prematch hype, but by the end of the game, South Africans were given a reminder of how much work still needs to be done to ensure we actually compete at the highest level. The young Matsatsantsa boys were hammered 5-2 by the twotime champions Mineiro, who were impressive throughout this group B tie at the Nike Centre in Pimville. SuperSport knew they were in for it going into the clash, but the Soweto crowd, who were clearly behind the Brazilians, did not make it easier for the South African side which was easily swept aside by a club expected to reach the latter stages of the competition.

Mineiro were 2-0 up within 10 minutes of the game, notching the first through midfielder Keven before lanky striker Flavio increased that lead after great play in midfield. Stunned by the brilliance of their opponents, SuperSport struggled to settle or string together a number of passes. They were three goals down winger Joao Victor netted before Flavio bagged his brace. Outclassed by their opponents, SuperSport woke up towards the end of the half. Left winger Thabelo Muluadzi scored a good goal with his left foot from outside the box. Rejuvenated after the goal, the young Matsatsantsa boys started passing the ball around with ease, and got forward a lot more. They were rewarded early in the second half when Mthokozisi Mngadi unleashed a cracking shot from range to leave Mineiro goalkeeper Cleiton motionless.

Wary that their opponents could make an astonishing comeback, Mineiro got back to their bewitching best and they sealed the deal midway through the half when Cesar tapped home from close range after a cross came in from the left hand side. In other results yesterday, group A s Jomo Cosmos lost 1-0 to Congolese club CESD La Djiri and Sunward Park High School were egded 2-1 by defending champions Club Tijuana from Mexico in their group C clash. Sunward stunned the Mexicans with a goal by Levy Berry in the first half, but Tijuana bounced back with goals from Juan Rodriguez and Brandon Vazquez. Royal Wahingdoh from India drew 1-1 with USA. Sundowns, in the same group, were due to play English club Sunderland in the late match last night.

Meanwhile, SuperSport, in group B, will have an opportunity to bounce back today when they face Kalusha Bwalya’s K-Stars, who drew 1-1 with Dutch club AED Den Haag yesterday. Cosmos will play Canadian club Toronto FC, and Sunward face Qatar’s Aspire Academy in the early matches. Sunward, much less fancied than SuperSport, Sundowns and Cosmos, yesterday showed that they have the potential to do well in this competition. FLYING FORWARD: Themba Ndzimande of SuperSport United gets past Atletico Mineiro’s captain, Nathanael, in their Gauteng Future Champions group B clash in Soweto yesterday. PICTURE: FRENNIE SHIVAMBU

  • 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