The 2013 Future Champions Gauteng Cup

Johannesburg, Wednesday, 6 March 2013 – The 2013 Future Champions Gauteng Cup will crown the best Under-17 side in the province when it gets underway this weekend at Wits University’s Dig Fields ground, providing a glimpse of Mzansi’s stars of tomorrow.
The tournament, organised in conjunction with SAFA Gauteng, will see a field of 16 sides be drawn into eight first round matches, with the winners advancing to the quarter-finals. The four victors at that stage will not only reach the semi-finals, but also qualify for the 2013 Future Champions Gauteng international tournament.

The line-up for the 2013 Future Champions Gauteng Cup provides a fascinating mix of teams that touches on all levels of football in the province – the professional clubs, the SAFA regions and school football.

The junior sides of Kaizer Chiefs, Moroka Swallows, Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United, Bidvest Wits and the University of Pretoria will all take part, as well as first division sides Jomo Cosmos and F.C.A.K.

They will be joined by teams from the SAFA regions in Tshwane, Sedibeng, West Rand and Ekurhuleni, as well teams who qualified through the Schools Cup – Johannesburg Secondary, Sports School of Excellence, Mosupatsela High and Residensia Secondary.

“The success of the Future Champions Gauteng Cup over the past few seasons has been phenomenal and a great credit to football in this province. We are incredibly proud of the talent that we are able to produce in Gauteng and the Future Champions Gauteng Cup, as well as the international 2013 Future Champions Gauteng, provides the perfect platform to showcase that. We are excited to see the young players involved in this year’s competition and wish all the competing teams the best of luck,†says SAFA Gauteng’s Head of Competitions, Louis Tshakoane.

The 2013 Future Champions Gauteng Cup is also organised in conjunction with the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, and MEC Lebogang Maile says they are delighted that the competition has returned for its fifth year.

“The fact that this competition features three different spheres of football in our province – the professional clubs, SAFA structures and schools teams, gives us an excellent window into the state of football in the province. Football is a great driver for social upliftment and an important part of the fabric of people’s lives in the Gauteng province. We would encourage members of the public to come out and support the teams during the Future Champions Gauteng Cup, as well as those who make it through to the Future Champions Gauteng,†Mr Maile says.

Moroka Swallows won the inaugural Future Champions Gauteng Cup event in 2009, with SuperSport United taking the honours in 2010. Bidvest Wits were the best performing team in 2011, while Orlando Pirates FC took the honours last year, defeating the Sports School of Excellence in the final.

Kick off for the 2013 Future Champions Gauteng Cup is at 09h00 on Saturday, 9th March and 11h00 on Sunday, 10th March.

Groups:

STREAM A STREAM B
A. SAFA Tshwane A. Johannesburg Secondary
B. SAFA Sedibeng B. Mosupatsela
C. SAFA West Rand C. Sports School of Excellence
D. SAFA Ekurhuleni D. Residensia
STREAM C STREAM D
A. Kaizer Chiefs A. Jomo Cosmos
B. Bidvest Wits B. Tuks FC
C. Mamelodi Sundowns C. Supersport United
D. Moroka Swallows D. F.C.A.K

Fixtures, Saturday, 9th March:

GROUND 1: GROUND 2:
STREAM A STREAM B
1. SAFA West Rand vs SAFA Tshwane 09h00 3. JHB Secondary vs Sports School of Excellence
2. SAFA Ekurhuleni vs SAFA Sedibeng 10h30 4. Mosupatsela vs Residensia
STREAM C STREAM D
5. Chiefs vs Sundowns 12h00 7. Cosmos vs Supersport
6. Wits vs Swallows 13h30 8. Tuks vs F.C.A.K
GROUND 1 GROUND 2
A.ÂÂÂÂÂ WINNER 1 versus WINNER 3 15H00 WINNER 2 versus WINNER 4
B.ÂÂÂÂÂ WINNER 5 versus WINNER 7 16H30 WINNER 6 versus WINNER 8

DAY 2 (Sunday, 10th March)

GROUND A GROUND B
WINNER A versus WINNER B 11H00 WINNER C versus WINNER D
FINAL 13H00

  • 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