Clapham High School win the 2019 Future Champions Gauteng Schools Cup

Johannesburg, Sunday, 17th February 2019 – Clapham High School from Pretoria were crowned winners of the 2019 Future Champions Gauteng Schools Cup after claiming a 2-0 victory over Esokwazi Secondary School from Sebokeng in the final at the Isak Steyl Stadium in the Vaal on Sunday.

Clapham emerged victorious after two grueling days of action, that for the first time included a girl’s competition which was won by Dr BW Vilakazi Secondary School in Zola, Soweto.

Clapham and Esokwazi are among the four teams to qualify for the Future Champions Gauteng Cup next month, along with Reshogofaditswe Secondary from Tsakane and Phafogang Secondary School in Moroka, Soweto.

After an initial knockout stage on Saturday, the winning teams returned to complete their pool play and attempt to seal a spot in the prestigious Gauteng Cup.

Clapham won their pool with a haul of seven points, conceding just a single goal in their three games after scraping through the knockout round with a penalty shoot-out victory over Randfontein High School on Saturday.

Esokwazi edged Pool B on goals scored after they finished level on points with Reshogofaditswe and the Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sport School, who have been regular participants in the Gauteng Cup in the past.

Clapham proved too strong in the final with what turned out to be a comfortable victory, sparking scenes of celebration among their players.

The inaugural girl’s competition was won by Dr BW Vilakazi as they claimed 7-1 victory over Rand Girls’ High School in the final.

Sixteen sides had started the journey, with eight emerging from the knockout rounds to contest the pools.

Dr BW Vilakazi edged Rosina Sedibane in their pool on goal-difference, while Rand Girls’ beat off Zimisele Secondary School, also by the slimmest of margins on goal-difference.

Dr BW Vilakazi will now clash with the five SAFA Regions at the Future Champions Gauteng Cup to contest that trophy as they seek to become the first champions of the girl’s competition in the province.

It was a deserved victory for the team, who scored 29 goals in their five games throughout the Schools cup, an average of more than five per game.

The Future Champions Gauteng Cup will be staged on March 16-17 at Reiger Park in Ekurhuleni as the four teams that qualified from the boy’s competition Schools Cup are joined by the best academy and club sides in the province.

The top four teams there will move forward to the Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament that takes place from 25th to 30th March at the Nike Football Training Centre in Pimville, Soweto.

2019 FUTURE CHAMPIONS GAUTENG SCHOOLS CUP RESULTS

GIRLS – KNOCKOUT STAGES

Tembisa HS 7-1 Khuto Tharo SS
Zifuneleni SS 0-7 Rosina Sedibane
Roodeport HS 2-7 Fumana SS
Ithuteng 0-7 Dr BW Vilakazi
Fundulwazi HS 3-1 Chipa-Tabane SS
General Smuts 1-6 Moditela HS
Zimisele 6-0 Liberty SS
Rand Girls 4-0 Funekile SS

GIRLS – POOL STAGES

Group A

Tembisa HS 0-6 Rosina Sedibane
Fumana SS 1-6 Dr BW Vilakazi
Tembisa HS 4-0 Fumana
Rosina Sedibane 1-1 Dr BW Vilakazi
Dr BW Vilakazi 7-0 Tembisa HS
Rosina Sedibane 1-0 Fumana SS

Group B

Fundulwazi HS 0-4 Moditela HS
Zimisele 0-0 Rand Girls
Rand Girls 6-0 Fundulwazi
Zimisele 4-0 Moditela HS
Rand Girls 5-0 Moditela HS
Zimisele 4-0 Fundulwazi HS

FINAL

Vilakazi 7-1 Rand Girls

BOYS – KNOCKOUT STAGES

Dan Kutumela HS 2-3 General Smuts
Norkem Park 6-1 Midrand HS
Phafogang SS (6) 1-1 (5) Katleho-Impumelelo
Randfontein HS (4) 2-2 (5) Clapham SS
Rosina Sedibane 2-1 Horizan
Pelotona (4) 1-1 (5) Lamula Jubilee
Kwadukathole (3) 1-1 (4) Reshogofaditswe
Esokwazi 1-0 Fons Luminus

BOYS – POOL STAGES

Group A

General Smuts 2-3 Norkem Park
Phafogang SS 0-1 Clapham SS
General Smuts 1-2 Phafogang SS
Norkem High 0-0 Clapham SS
General Smuts 1-2 Clapham SS
Norkem High 0-1 Phafogang SS

Group B

Rosina Sedibane 3-0 Lamula Jubilee
Reshogofaditswe 1-4 Esokwazi
Rosina Sedibane 0-1 Reshogofaditswe
Lamula Jubilee 2-3 Esokwazi
Rosina Sedibane 3-2 Esokwazi
Reshogofaditswe 5-0 Lamula Jubilee

FINAL

Clapham 2-0 Esokwazi

For further information, please visit:

http://facebook.com/futurechampions

http://instagram.com/FutureChampsU17

  • 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