Road to the Future Champions International Tournament gets underway

Future Champions is a project aimed at improving the standard of youth football in South Africa and more specifically in the Gauteng region. The objective of the programme is to act as a lever for social development.

The initiative, which is organised by GSI Global, sees football provide many youngsters with an opportunity and a stage on which to showcase their talents. LaLiga has joined the project this year and the organisation's interest in the development of the game in the region has seen it become a driving force behind the project.

The Future Champions competition involves three phases: the Schools Cup, the Gauteng Cup and the International Tournament.

The action got underway in the Schools Cup on Saturday 20 with 16 U-17's sides from the Gauteng region contesting the one-day tournament. The teams were divided into four groups and of the 16, Clapham, Rosina Sedibane, Kingsway and Thutolor went on to seal their place in the Gauteng Cup.

Clapham, Rosina Sedibane and Thutolor won all of their three games to progress, whilst Kingsway won two and lost one of their encounters, but went through on goal difference after scoring eight and conceding three. After the staging of the semi-finals, the final, to be played in March, will see Clapham High School take on Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sport School, after the two sides won their games 5-2 and 3-1 respectively.

The four U-17s sides will pit their wits against eight sides representing the Premier Soccer League on 6 March 2016, of which four teams will qualify for the International Tournament, at which Atlético Madrid will fly the flag for LaLiga.