The 2014 Future Champions Gauteng Schools Cup

Johannesburg, Thursday, 30th January 2014 – The third edition of the Future Champions Gauteng Schools Cup will take place this Saturday, February 1 where sixteen of the top school teams from around the Province are set to compete for the chance to take part in the Gauteng Cup tournament next month.

The U17 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, Vaal University of Technology, with the competing teams selected by the South African Schools Football Association (SASFA).

The participating teams are Mosupatsela High (Gauteng West), Sunward Park High (Ekurhuleni South), Beverley Hills High (Sedibeng West), Rosina Sedibane Sport School (Tshwane South), Chipa Tabane High (Gauteng North), Meadowlands High (Johannesburg West), Highlands North Boys High (Johannesburg East), SAFA Transnet Sport School (Ekurhuleni North), Mohloli High (Sedibeng East), Thandi Eleanor Sibeko High (Gauteng East), IR Lesolang High (Tshwane West), Clapham High (Tshwane North), Johannesburg Secondary (Johannesburg North), Tetelo Secondary (Johannesburg Central), Kganya Lesedi (Sedibeng East) and Esokwazi Secondary (Sedibeng West).

The schools 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 teams that win their place in the Gauteng Cup competition will be up against the best academies from around the Province among the professional clubs.

From there they will strive to earn a place in this year’s prestigious Future Champions Gauteng International tournament, where top Under-17 sides from around the world will converge for a week-long football extravaganza.

Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy says they are thrilled that the Gauteng Schools Cup has grown in such stature over the last three years since it was first played in 2012.

“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 Gauteng 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.

Meanwhile, at the same venue the latest leg in the Future Champions Gauteng Talent Search programme will be held. Over 440 learners arrived at the last trials held this previous weekend at the Braamfisher Sports Complex.

The action will kick off from 09h00 at the Isak Steyl Stadium on Saturday, 1st February 2014.

For further information, please visit:

http://twitter.com/FutureChampsU17

  • 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