The 2014 Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament Draw

Johannesburg, Tuesday, 4th March 2014 – The draw for the 2014 Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament has been completed, with some exciting matches in prospect for the competition that will take place from March 24-29 at the Nike Football Training Centre in Pimville, Soweto.

Such has been the popularity of one of the world’s most prestigious Under-17 tournaments that the field has been expanded from 12 to 16 sides for 2014. Four of the teams come from the Gauteng Province, with the remainder originating from across the world.

They have been placed into four groups each containing four sides, with the teams meeting each other in a round-robin format. The top teams in each pool will advance to the semi-finals, with the remainder playing off for final positions.

Group A consists of Congo side Brazzaville Academy, making their first appearance, along with Canadian outfit Toronto FC, 2010 Future Champions Gauteng Tournament winners Shandong Luneng of China and local South African side Jomo Cosmos, owned by the legendary Jomo Sono.

Zambian side K-Stars return for the sixth year in a row having enjoyed past success with two semi-final appearances. They finished sixth last year. They have been pooled in Group B along with Brazilian giants Atletico Mineiro, Dutch club Ado Den Haag and South African side SuperSport United.

Group C contains Nigerian region Saki West making their first appearance, along with Qatar’s Aspire Academy who return for the third time to the event, as do Mexican side Club Tijuana, the defending champions from 2013. Sunward Park High will be the only school team in this event after they qualified via the Gauteng Schools Cup and then the Gauteng Cup.

The English Premiership is represented by Sunderland and have been placed in Group D along with Royal Wahingdoh from India and a select side from the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA). They are joined by top local team Mamelodi Sundowns.

“We are delighted with the field we have been able to assemble this year and the fact that it has expanded to 16 teams shows that the Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament is established as one of the world’s leading Under-17 tournaments. There has been a lot of interest from clubs across the globe to compete and we believe the field we have attracted will show a great contrast in style and skills,†tournament director Ray Whelan says.

“We would like to extend our thanks once again to the Gauteng Province for hosting this wonderful event, the facilities and hospitality we receive each year are first class. I am sure that this year’s event will meet everybody’s expectations and more once again.â€

The Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament, organised by Global Sports International on behalf of the Gauteng Provincial Government, led by the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, has grown into one of the top Under-17 competitions on the global football calendar and is now in its sixth year.

Boca Juniors from Argentina were crowned champions in 2009, with Chinese side Shandong Luneng victors in 2010. Clube Atletico Mineiro were the first Brazilian winners when they triumphed in 2011 and then repeated that success in 2012. Mexican side Club Tijuana defeated England’s Everton on penalties in the 2013 decider.

Group A Group B Group C Group D
Brazzaville K Stars Saki West Royal Wahandoh
Toronto FC Ado Den Haag Aspire Academy Sunderland
Shandong Atletico Mineiro Club Tijuana USYSA Select
Jomo Cosmos SuperSport United Sunward Park Mamelodi Sundowns

  • 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