The 2013 Future Champions Schools Cup

Johannesburg, Monday, 18 February 2013 – The second annual Future Champions Schools Cup will take place on Sunday, February 24 when 16 of the top teams from around the province compete for two places in the prestigious 2013 Future Champions Gauteng Cup tournament next month.

The competition, run in conjunction with the Gauteng Department of Education and the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, will be held at the Isak Steyl Stadium at the Vaal University of Technology with the competing teams chosen by the South African Schools Football Association (SASFA).

The teams will be split into four groups of four teams, with each side playing three games in a round-robin format. The top sides in each pool will then advance to the semi-finals, before a third/fourth-place play-off and a deciding final will be played.

Those two teams that reach the final will join the top PSL Under-17 teams from among the province, in this year’s Future Champions Gauteng Cup tournament to be played on 9th and 10th March 2013.

The 16 competing teams are Thandukwazi Secondary School (Sedibeng West), Clapham High School (Tshwane North), Daliwonga Secondary School (JHB Central), Ekangala Comprehensive (Gauteng North), Highlands North (JHB East), I.R Lesolang Secondary (Tshwane West), Mohloli (Sedibeng East), Katlehong Tech High (Ekurhuleni South), Mosupatsela High (Gauteng West), Rosina Sedibane (Tshwane South), Residensia Secondary School (Sedibeng West), School of Excellence (Ekurhuleni North), Thandi Sibeko Secondary School (Gauteng East), Johannesburg Sec (JHB North), Lamula Jubilee High (JHB West), Aha-Thuto High (JHB South).

Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy says they were thrilled with the first year of competition and are looking forward to the second installment.

“It was wonderful to see learners from all over the province come together and not only play football against one another, but interact on a social level too. The Future Champions Schools Cup is the perfect platform to give young learners the chance to grow their self-esteem, enjoy a wonderful day of fun, competition and revel in the healthy lifestyle that comes with playing sport,†MEC Creecy says.

Her sentiments were echoed by the Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Mr Lebogang Maile.

“We have been saying for some time that there is a need to uplift school sports in the province and South Africa as a whole to uncover the Bafana Bafana stars of tomorrow that we know are waiting to be found. We believe we have incredible talent in this province and tournaments such as the future Champions Schools Cup will help to expose and uncover that so that we can give these youngsters a chance at a professional career.â€

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  • 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