The Supersport United are the champions of the 2013 Future Champions Gauteng Cup

Johannesburg, Sunday, 10 March 2013 – SuperSport United have been crowned champions of the 2013 Future Champions Gauteng Cup after a penalty shoot-out victory over the University of Pretoria in the final on Sunday (10 March 2013).

The tournament, organised in conjunction with Gauteng Provincial Government and SAFA Gauteng, was played at the Wits University campus and was a showcase of the tremendous talent in the province.

Sunday’s action saw the semi-finals and final played, after the 16 competing teams had been whittled down to just four on Saturday, all of whom qualified for the prestigious 2013 Future Champions Gauteng international tournament to be played later this month.

Marcel Luck scored twice for SuperSport in the first semi-final as they defeated SAFA Sedibeng 2-1, taking his tally for the tournament to four. Refiloe Letshoho got the goal for SAFA Sedibeng.

University of Pretoria and Johannesburg Secondary played to a 1-1 draw in their semi-final, Ofentse Kwenaite on target for AmaTuks and Siyanda Ngubo scoring for Johannesburg Secondary. AmaTuks won through to the decider 4-2 in the penalty shoot-out.

SuperSport led the final 1-0 deep into the game after a goal by Kwanele Zulu, but Simphiwe Sihlangu equalized just two minutes from time to force the game into penalties. The Matsatsantsa youngsters prevailed 5-4 in the shoot-out to lift the trophy for the second time after winning the inaugural tournament in 2009.

Supersport United, AmaTuks, Johannesburg Secondary and SAFA Sedibeng will represent Gauteng and Mzansi in the 2013 Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament to be played at the Nike Football Training Centre from 25 – 30 March 2013.

2013 FUTURE CHAMPIONS GAUTENG CUP RESULTS

SEMI-FINALS
SuperSport United 2 (Marcel Luck 2) SAFA Sedibeng 1(Refiloe Letshoho)
University of Pretoria 1 (Ofentse Kwenaite) Johannesburg Secondary 1 (Siyanda Ngubo)
AmaTuks win 4-2 on penalties.
FINAL
SuperSport United 1 (Kwanele Zulu) University of Pretoria 1 (Simphiwe Sihlangu)
SuperSport win 5-4 on penalties

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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