Supersport United will be out to keep the Gauteng sports name up high when they make their debut in the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation’s Gauteng Future Champions international under 17 tournament in Soweto near Johannesburg from 25 to 30 January.
The Tshwane based club will go into the 12 team international event, made possible by the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation and the South Africa Football Association (SAFA), as the Gauteng under 17 cup academy champions, having beaten Kaizer Chiefs three goals to two in the final of the provincial event in November last year.
With both finalists, in Supersport United and Kaizer Chiefs, automatically qualifying for the second edition of the week long international tournament, they will be joined by Gauteng under 17 cup regional champions, SAFA Tshwane select and regional finalists, SAFA Johannesburg select.
The international challenge will come in the form of Botafogo (Brazil), Dublin District Schoolboy League (Ireland), Paris Saint-Germain (France), DC United (United Sates of America (USA)), Shandong Luneng (China), and line ups from India, Tunisia and Zambia.
In welcoming Supersport United to the tournament, Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Ms Nelisiwe Mbatha-Mtimkulu said: “Supersport United is a club known for not only being the Amalgamated Banks of South Africa (ABSA) Premiership champions over the past two seasons, but also for having a healthy youth development programme and I am confident that they will do the Gauteng province proud during the Gauteng Future Champions international under 17 tournament.
“Gauteng pride itself in living by its slogan of being the “Gateway to 2010” and by staging world class sports events such as the Gauteng Future Champions international under 17 tournament, we are creating platforms through which our youth can match their skills against the best in their age group from across the globe,” added Ms Mbatha-Mtimkulu.
Supersport United under 17 team manager Giancarlo Ballossini said: “Supersport United is delighted to be able to compete in an event of the magnitude of the Gauteng Future Champions international under 17 tournament and the players look forward to giving of their best in a year which marks Gauteng’s key involvement in South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.”
“We are equally as pleased to go into the tournament as the Gauteng under 17 cup academy champions and look forward to giving a proudly South Africa showing of disciplined football against quality teams from around the world.”
Among the attractions that the international teams will visit during their stay, will be the recently upgraded Soccer City stadium which will play host to the opening match and grand finale of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Gauteng Future Champions under 17 tournament will see the 12 teams divided into three groups. After the round-robin matches between the teams in each group have been completed, the top side in each pool plus the best on-points second placed team from the three pools will contest the semi-finals matches, in a bid to decide which teams will take part in the tournament final on 30 January.
The coaches of the international teams will also get an opportunity to address local coaches from the Gauteng regions, in order to pass on elements of their football coaching knowledge as well as their football experiences, which will play a role in empowering the Gauteng coaches to educate rising talent in the province.
For further information, please contact:
Nomazwe Ntlokwana
Cell: 083 507 8068
Issued by: Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Gauteng Provincial Government
14 January 2010
Source: Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.srac.gpg.gov.za/)
