U17s book place in 2012 Brazil Future Champs

After a disappointing 1-3 loss to Nacional from Uruguay in the Gauteng Future Champions Tournament (second match), Orlando Pirates U17 team bounced back in an emphatic fashion beating FC Nania from Ghana 3-0 on Wednesday afternoon. The Boys in Black-and-White who are determined to better last year?s performance in the International Finals played last December in Belo Horizonte (Brazil), where they finished in seventh position, trounced their African counterparts (3-0) in what was one of the biggest matches of group B. On-form centre forward Siyanda Ngcobo netted twice to put the Boys from Mayfair in the lead, while midfielder Bongani Khanyile sealed the visitors? fate with a late goal in the dying minutes on the second half. With the victory, the young Buccaneers have booked their place in the international Finals set to take place in Brazil later in December after finishing as the best placed South African side in the tournament. Other South African sides in this tournament are BIDVEST Wits, School of Excellence and Mohloli High School. Meanwhile, Professor Augusto Palacios is happy that a few of his players have now played in this tournament for two successive years, and will be going to Brazil for the second time. ?We have players like Tshepo Liphoko, Nhlankanipo Ntuli, and Richard Mkhize who have all done very well in this tournament and they will gain more experience when we take them to Brazil for the second time. ?These are the future players of Orlando Pirates and we have to make sure they play at the highest level in this category. Going to Brazil our mandate is very clear. We will fight to win the tournament,? Palacios concluded. Pirates will take on the Young Zebras from Botswana in the quarter finals of this exciting youth tournament. Kick-off is at 13.45 at the Nike Football Training Centre. Back U17s book place in 2012 Brazil Future Champs

  • 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