There will be a record three Gauteng sides in the semi-finals of the 2015 Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament

There will be a record three Gauteng sides in the semi-finals of the 2015 Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament as the local sides dominate this year’s competition at the Football Training Centre in Pimville on Wednesday (25 March 2015).

Bidvest Wits, Orlando Pirates FC and SuperSport United will all represent the host country in the semi-finals, with Italian side Torino joining them a step closer to the silverware.

Torino set up a semi-final meeting with Mzansi’s Bidvest Wits as they defeated K-Stars of Zambia 3-0. Matteo Tobaldo got his third goal in as many games to go with strikes from Gilles Duguet and Manuel de Luka.

Bidvest Wits made sure they finished top of Group A with a 0-0 draw against English side Sunderland AFC in a game that was a straight shoot-out for the semi-finals.

The draw suited The Clever Boys though, as they reached the Last 4, while Sunderland AFC will take on Jomo Cosmos in their play-off clash in two days time.

Orlando Pirates FC booked their place in the semi-finals with a 1-0 win over Oryx FC from Namibia as Tebogo Modiba got the only goal of the game to send them top of Group B.

They will take on SuperSport United, who defeated Mozambican side Ferroviario Maputo 2-1 thanks to a brace from Athenkosi Dladla, which moved him joint top of the goal scorers chart.

Adriano dos Santos scored from the penalty spot for the Mozambicans, who now play Oryx FC in their play-off fixture.

Brazilian side Cruzeiro defeated Jomo Cosmos 3-0 via goals from Rhainer, Jose Gabriel and Erany, but that score line was only good enough for second place in Group D. They now tackle Dutch side ADO Den Haag in the playoffs.

University of Pretoria won their first game of the competition with a 3-1 success over ADO Den Haag. Byron Mangena, Mpumelelo Mphahlele and Ngobile Khumalo scored for the Tshwane side, while Nigel Ogidi Nwanko got a consolation for the visitors.

That means University of Pretoria will take on K-Stars in their play-off fixture on Friday.

The teams will have a day’s rest on Thursday when they will be shown the sights and sounds of Gauteng.

  • 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