Supersport United claim the Future Champions Gauteng Cup title

Johannesburg, Saturday, 1st March Â2014 – ÂDefending champions Supersport United have been crowned 2014 Gauteng Cup champions after they defeated Tshwane rivals Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 in the final at the Eldorado Park Ex 6 Soccer Fields on Saturday (1st March 2014).

It means back-to-back victories for young Matsatsantsa in the tournament, with their winning goal in the title decider coming from Nelson Maluleke.

win

The four semi-finalists, which also included Jomo Cosmos and Sunward High School, all booked their place in the prestigious Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament that will be played in Soweto from 24th to 29th March 2014.

There they will rub shoulders with some of the best Under-17 sides from around the world in a competition that has become one of the highlights of the world junior football calendar.

The 16 teams that competed at the Future Champions Gauteng Cup on Saturday were made up of eight from the academies of professional clubs in the Province, four sides who had qualified via the Gauteng Schools Cup and a further four sides made up of SAFA regions in the province.

Supersport United topped a tight Group A with two wins from their three games, beating SAFA Johannesburg 1-0 and Johannesburg Secondary by the same score line.

Mpumalanga Black Aces were runners up in the pool by virtue of their victory over Supersport in the final group game which meant they were the only side not to lose.

Sunward Park High were among the most impressive of the semi-final qualifiers as they breezed through Group B after winning all three of their matches.

Keanu Cupido scored twice as they saw off SAFA Sedibeng 4-0, before defeating Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 thanks to a goal from Tlou Masegela. They rounded out their pool play with a 4-0 victory over Moroka Swallows.

Jomo Cosmos edged Group C ahead of Bidvest Wits after they picked up two wins and a draw. The decisive game in the pool proved to be their 1-0 win over The Clever Boys, with Prim Gouindsamy getting the goal.

Mamelodi Sundowns were the dominant force in Group D as they claimed three wins, finishing top ahead of the Sports School of Excellence.

Supersport United booked their place in the final with an emphatic 4-0 win over Jomo Cosmos thanks to goals fromNelson Maluleke, Athenkosi Dladla and Zama Rambuwane (two).

It was a much tighter affair in the other semi-final, where Mamelodi Sundowns edged Sunward Park High 1 – 0 withOfentse Mohomotji on the score-sheet.

That set up a final between the two Tshwane sides, with Supersport coming out on top once again thanks to Maluleke’s strike.

GAUTENG CUP RESULTS & STANDINGS

Group A P W D L GF GA PTS
SuperSport United 3 2 0 1 2 1 6
M Black Aces 3 2 3 0 3 2 5
SAFA Jo’burg 3 1 1 1 2 2 4
Jo’burg Secondary 3 0 1 2 1 3 1

Jo’burg Secondary 1 (Radebe Bonakele) Mpumalanga Black Aces 1 (Jamie Ioannides)

SAFA Johannesburg 0 SuperSport United 1 (Thapelo Mulaudzi)

SAFA Johannesburg 1 (Thabang Mokonyane) Mpumalanga Black Aces 1 (Joseph Brandon-Lee)
SuperSport United 1 (Kabelo Seriba) Jo’burg Secondary 0

SAFA Johannesburg 1 (Dylon Vanrhyne) Jo’burg Secondary 0

SuperSport United 0 Mpumalanga Black Aces 1 (Tumi Mokhethi)

Group B P W D L GF GA PTS
Sunward High 3 3 0 0 9 0 9
SAFA Sedibeng 3 2 0 1 7 5 6
Kaizer Chiefs 3 1 0 2 1 3 3
Moroka Swallows 3 0 0 3 1 10 0

Sunward High 4 (Keanu Cupido 2, Tlou Masegela, Katlego Mtwisha) SAFA Sedibeng 0

Moroka Swallows 0 Kaizer Chiefs 1 (Keitumetsi Sehume)

Sunward High 1 (Tlou Masegela) Kaizer Chiefs 0

Moroka Swallows 1 (Lerato Lepasa) SAFA Sedibeng 5 (Kopano Sekgonyane 2, Samuel Nkomo, Elby Twala, Siyabonga Mazibuko)

SAFA Sedibeng 2 (Thulani Dzima, Kopano Sekgonyane) Kaizer Chiefs 0

Moroka Swallows 0 Sunward High 4 (Keanu Cupido, Karabo Dube, Lebone Mkwanazi, Anslin Williams)

Group C P W D L GF GA PTS
Jomo Cosmos 3 2 1 0 4 2 7
Bidvest Wits 3 2 0 1 7 2 6
SAFA West Rand 3 1 0 2 4 5 3
IR Lesolang High 3 0 1 2 1 7 1

Bidvest Wits 0 Jomo Cosmos 1 (Prim Gouindsamy)
IR Lesolang High 0 SAFA West Rand 2 (Walkover)

Bidvest Wits 2 (Frosler Reeve, Sifiso Mabanga) SAFA West Rand 0
Jomo Cosmos 0 IR Lesolang High 0

IR Lesolang High 1 (Mandla Booi) BidVest Wits 5 (Dutiro Shungu 3, Luvuyo Mkatshana, Liam Jordan)

SAFA West Rand 2 (Jimmy Masola 2) Jomo Cosmos 3 (Kgomotso Marebane 2, Bruce Mabusela)

Group D P W D L GF GA PTS
M. Sundowns 3 3 0 0 8 1 9
SAFA School of Ex 3 2 0 1 5 3 6
Univ. of Pretoria 3 1 0 2 3 4 3
SAFA Tshwane 3 0 0 3 1 9 0

Mamelodi Sundowns 2 (Lunathi Mdatayulwa, Lovers Malatsi) University of Pretoria 1 (Bonifatius Pauline)

SAFA Tshwane 1 (Thato Mobatja) Sports School of Excellence 3 (Letsoenyo Kganyana 2 Phakamani Mahlambi)
Mamelodi Sundowns 1 (Mpumelelo Hlatshwayo) Sports School of Excellence 0

University of Pretoria 1 (Byron Mangena) SAFA Tshwane 0

University of Pretoria 1 (Thungolethu Ndlovu) Sports School of Excellence 2 (Tshepiso Mbongwa, Mpumelelo Hlatshwayo)

SAFA Tshwane 0 Mamelodi Sundowns 5 (Tshepiso Mbongwa 2, Lovers Malatsi, Avuyile Mkhundlu, Leonardo Alfonso)

SEMI-FINALS

SuperSport United 4 (Nelson Maluleke, Athenkosi Dladla, Zama Rambuwane 2) Jomo Cosmos 0

Mamelodi Sundowns 1 (Ofentse Mohomotji) Sunward Park High 0

FINAL

SuperSport United 1 (Nelson Maluleke) Mamelodi Sundowns 0

  • 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