23 March 2018 – Dutch side ADO Den Haag will take on Belgian outfit Club Brugge in the final of the 2018 Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament at the Nike Football Training Centre in Pimville, Soweto on Saturday, 24 March 2018.

The pair won through their semi-final games on Friday as they seek to lift the trophy in what is the 10th edition of the prestigious Under-17 competition.

A goal from Jente Ceurvelts sealed the victory for Brugge, who beat Russian side FC Spartak 1-0 in the first semi-final.

ADO Den Haag then edged local favourites BidVest Wits with a 5-3 success in a penalty shoot-out after the sides had been locked at 1-1 after the full time whistle.

The Dutch side took the lead as Lorenzo van Kleef scored his fourth goal of the tournament, double the number of goals anybody else has managed, but Wits were able to find a late equaliser in the dying minutes through Brad Cross to take the game to spot-kicks, where the visitors held their nerve.

Wits and FC Spartak will now meet in the bronze medal match on Saturday that will kick-off at 11h30, while the final will be played at 13h00.

In other matches played on Friday, Orlando Pirates FC edged local rivals Highlands Park 2-1 in a tough encounter that saw Kagiso Setlhodi and Azola Tshobeni on target for the Young Buccaneers.

Eric Tivane netted his second goal of the tournament for Highlands Park, who will now take on Spanish side RCD Espanyol in the battle for seventh place in the competition on Saturday.

The club from Barcelona were beaten 1-0 by Zambian side Nkana FC, with Mashawila Kaliminwa getting the only goal. Nkana and Pirates clash in the battle for fifth position.

Local side Mamelodi Sundowns defeated AC Reggiana from Italy 1-0 as Cassius Mailula bagged his second goal of the competition and have set up a clash for ninth place against another Gauteng club, Jomo Cosmos.

Cosmos were 1-0 victors over Namibian side Black Africa Hopsol, thanks to a goal from Gontse Molefe. The Namibians will now face AC Reggiana in the bid to avoid the wooden spoon.

The Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament is organised by Global Sports International in conjunction with the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, the Gauteng Department of Education and SAFA.

This year’s competition will also be supported by Sedgars Sport, Clinix, LaLiga, Gauteng Coaches and the City of Joburg.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

Orlando Pirates                  2 (Kagiso Setlhodi, Azola Tshobeni)      1   Highlands Park 1 (Eric Tivane)

Jomo Cosmos                    1 (Gontse Molefe)                                   0    Black Africa Hopsol 0

Mamelodi Sundowns        1 (Cassius Maciulla)                                0   AC Reggiana 0

Club Brugge                       1 (Jente Ceurvelts)                                   0   FC Spartak 0

Nkana FC                            1 (Mashawila Kaliminwa)                          0    Espanyol 0

ADO den Haag                    1 (Lorenzo van Kleef)                                1   BidVest Wits (Brad Cross)

(Ado Den Haag won 5-3 on penalties)

 

SATURDAY’S FIXTURES

08h15 – Black Africa Hopsol vs AC Reggiana

08h30 – Jomo Cosmos vs Mamelodi Sundowns

10h15 – Highlands Park vs RCD Espanyol

11h15 – Orlando Pirates FC vs Nkana FC

11h30 – FC Spartak vs BidVest Wits

13h00 – Club Brugge vs ADO Den Haag (Final)

TOURNAMENT STATS:

Matches played: 24

Goals scored: 53

Biggest victory: Black Africa Hopsol 0 FC Spartak 5

Most goals in a game: Black Africa Hopsol 0 FC Spartak 5; Mamelodi Sundowns 2 Nkana FC 3

GOALSCORERS

4 goals – Lorenzo van Kleef (ADO Den Haag)

2 goals – Thando Buthelezi (Mamelodi Sundowns), Pavel Kosongov (FC Spartak), Simphiwe Mabena (BidVest Wits), Cassius Mailula (Mamelodi Sundowns), Eric Tivane (Highlands Park)

1 goal – Adria (RCD Espanyol), Oliver Baas (Black Africa Hopsol), Nikita Bakaluk (FC Spartak), Ilya Bykovskij (FC Spartak), Siyabonga Buda (Orlando Pirates FC), Jente Ceurvelts (Club Brugge), Yoram Chanda (Nkana FC), Brad Cross (BidVest Wits), Charles De Ketelaere (Club Brugge), Timo de Vreede (ADO Den Haag), Mathias De Wolf (Club Brugge), Marx Hakeem (Orlando Pirates FC), Nikita Iosifov (FC Spartak), Nelson Kaula (Nkana FC), Mashawila Kaliminwa (Nkana FC), Gabriel Lemoine (Club Brugge), Christiano Lorenzani (AC Reggiana), Augustine Mahlonoka (Orlando Pirates FC), Thato Matli (Mamelodi Sundowns), Leighton McGalty (Black Africa Hopsol), Ben Melamdowitz (BidVest Wits), Gontse Molefe (Jomo Cosmos), Nikita Morgynov (FC Spartak), Siphamandla Msezana (Orlando Pirates FC), Mubanga Mulenga (Nkana FC), Salomon Negumbo (Black Africa Hopsol), Siyamamkela Ntame (Highlands Park), Oriol (RCD Espanyol), Oscar (RCD Espanyol), Ilya Predeys (FC Spartak), Sem Reijn (ADO Den Haag), Kagiso Setlhodi (Orlando Pirates FC), Azola Tshobeni (Orlando Pirates FC), Thomas van den Keybus (Club Brugge), Rini van der Walt (ADO Den Haag), Milan Vanacker (Club Brugge), Riandre Vries (Mamelodi Sundowns), Federico Ziveri (AC Reggiana), Isaac Zulu (Nkana FC)

For further information, please visit:

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http://instagram.com/FutureChampsU17

ENDS

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