The 2015 Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament got off to an excellent start on Monday

The 2015 Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament got off to an excellent start on Monday with six matches of the highest quality as the 12 competing teams began their path to glory at the Football Training Centre in Pimville, Soweto.

Orlando Pirates FC picked up the most impressive win on the opening day when they defeated English side Sunderland AFC 1-0.

It was a close battle between the sides, but the game was ultimately decided by a goal from Katlego Mtwisha, who got his team off to a positive start.

Bidvest Wits and University of Pretoria played the tournament opener, with Wits running out 2-1 winners against their Gauteng rivals.

Their goals came from national Under-17 player Reeve Frosler and Luvuyo Mkatshane, while Nhlanhla Tsomele netted for the AmaTuks juniors.

Another South African team, Jomo Cosmos, ran out 1-0 victors over Zambian side K-Stars as Teboho Moloi scored for them to grab the three points.

Dutch side ADO Den Haag got their campaign off to a positive start with a 1-0 success over Namibian outfit Oryx FC, Loyd van der Wilden scored in another hard-fought encounter.

Italian side Torino claimed a narrow 1-0 success over home side SuperSport United as Matteo Tobaldo found the back of the net.

Brazilian side Cruzeiro opened their campaign with a win as they defeated Ferroviario de Maputo from Mozambique 1-0, with Jose Gabriel getting the game’s only goal.

The action continues with six more matches on Tuesday (24th March 2015) as the teams jostle for semi-final places. Entrance to the games is free.

TUESDAY’S FIXTURES

13h15 – BidVest Wits vs Oryx FC

13h30 – K-Stars vs Ferroviario Maputo

14h45 – Sunderland vs University of Pretoria

15h00 – ADO Den Haag vs Orlando Pirates

16h15 – Jomo Cosmos vs Torino FC

16h30 – SuperSport United vs Cruzeiro

MONDAY’S RESULTS

BidVest Wits 2 (Reeve Frosler, Luvuyo Mkatshane) University of Pretoria 1 (Nhlanhla Tsomele)
Jomo Cosmos 1 (Teboho Moloi) K-Stars 0
ADO Den Haag 1 (Loyd van der Wilden) Oryx FC 0
Torino 1 (Matteo Tobaldo) SuperSport United 0
Orlando Pirates 1 (Katlego Mtwisha) Sunderland 0
Cruzeiro 1 (Jose Gabriel) Ferroviario Maputo 0

TOURNAMENT STATS
Matches played: 6
Goals scored: 8
Biggest victory: BidVest Wits 2 University of Pretoria 1
Most goals in a game: 3 – BidVest Wits 2 University of Pretoria 1

GOALSCORERS

1 goal – Reeve Frosler (BidVest Wits), Jose Gabriel (Cruzeiro), Luvuyo Mkatshane (BidVest Wits), Teboho Moloi (Jomo Cosmos), Katlego Mtwisha (Orlando Pirates), Matteo Tobaldo (Torino), Nhlanhla Tsomele (University of Pretoria), Loyd van der Wilden (ADO Den Haag).

  • 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