The 2012 Future Champions Gauteng Excursion Day

Johannesburg, Wednesday, 28 March 2012 – The 2012 Future Champions Gauteng tournament sees world-class football over five days of competition, but is also a chance for the Gauteng province to showcase its excellent reputation as a leading tourist destination.

Under-17 teams from five continents have been battling it out at the Nike Football Training centre since Monday – North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa – and while the action continues to be entertaining on the pitch, the Gauteng Tourism Authority will also be showing the teams a good time off it.

The players will enjoy a rest day on Thursday, March 29, and the youngsters from around the world will be taken on a tour of Soweto, to take in the sights and sounds of this historic part of South Africa.

They will start at Soccer City, the massive 94 700-seater stadium that played host to the Final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup that saw Spain defeat Netherlands 1-0 after extra-time.

It is the national stadium of South Africa and the scene of some of the greatest matches in the history of Mzansi’s domestic football, both in recent times and before the original venue was rebuilt between 2007 and 2009.

The players will then be taken on a bus tour via Regina Mundi, the Catholic Church which was on the forefront of the Soweto uprising against Apartheid.

They will stop at the Hector Peterson Monument, erected in remembrance of the first victim of the 1976 student uprising in Soweto where they will be given a lecture on the past struggle and hope for the future of the people in the area.

Next up will be a walk down famous Vilakazi Street, the only street in the world that has been home to two recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in former South African President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

President Mandela’s house has now been turned into a museum under the control of the Soweto Heritage Trust.

The group will be hosted to lunch at Sakhumzi Restaurant in Vilakazi, an establishment set-up by Soweto-born Sakhumzi Maqubela and a wonderful example of the culinary delights of the area.

After dining in style, the players will make their way to the Lion Park that provides a unique opportunity for close encounters with some of Africa’s most famous inhabitants. With over 80 lions to see, from the cutest cubs to magnificent white lions, as well as the spotted hyena, wild dog, cheetahs and various herbivores, this will be an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of the players.

Following that, they will depart for a gala dinner at Usambara where they will be dining once again on some of Mzansi’s favourite dishes and entertainment.

After that it will be back home to enjoy another day of competition as the hunt for the 2012 Future Champions Gauteng trophy continues.

For further information and results, please visit:

http://facebook.com/futurechampions
http://twitter.com/FutureChampsU17

For live results of the Future Champions Gauteng international tournament on your mobile, please sms ‘Future Champions’ to 34747 to register (SMS cost R1.50)

  • 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