Six Juniors in U17 National Team

After an inspiring campaign in the Gauteng Future Champions Tournament, six Orlando Pirates players have earned call ups to the South Africa National Under 17 team which will travel to Namibia next week. Centre forward Nhlankanipo ?Nanana? Ntuli, Sabelo Malunga, striker Syianda Ngcobo, forward Bongani Mathebula, Sabelo Malunga, Sizwe Thwala and goalkeeper Mondli Mkhize have all joined the National team, ahead of the four nations tournament which will take place in Namibia from the 5th to the 10th of April. According to Abram Ndawonde, team manager of the National U17 team, the six players will be part of the team that will play against Namibia, Zambia and Westphalian from Germany. The South Africans will be up against the hosts (Namibia) on April 5th, before taking on Westphalian from Germany, followed by Zambia on the 6th and 7th of April respectively. Orlandopiratesfc.com wishes the six players the best of luck.

  • 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