2 April 2019 – Orlando Pirates FC became the first ever South African winners of the Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament when they edged Russian visitors FC Spartak 8-7 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the final at Nike Football Training Centre in Pimville, Soweto on Saturday, 30 March 2019.It brought to an end a magnificent six days of action, where some of the top young players in the world competed for the prestigious Under-17 prize.

Pirates took the lead in a tense decider through Thabani Gumede, when he turned home the loose ball after Spartak failed to clear.But the visitors hit back in the second period when leading scorer Magomedemin Rabadanov headed home a cross, to send the game to penalties.

Clube Brugge secured the bronze medal when they edged SAFA Gauteng 2-1 in the third-place play-off, with Samuel Mbangula and Ben van Lommel on target for last years’ winners.Mexican side Club Tijuana, who were winners in 2013, finished fifth after they beat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in their play-off match.

RCD Espanyol took seventh place after a hard-fought victory over Highlands Park in a penalty shoot-out.

Bidvest Wits took ninth place when they beat Italian outfit Reggio Audace, with Motihalosi Nare, Siphesihle Maseko and Daanyaal Daya finding the back of the net, the later taking his tally for the competition to three.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS
Boys’ competition
Beijing Sinobo Guoan 1 (Jiawang Lu) All India FF 2 (Harsh Patre, Satendra Yadav)
Kaizer Chiefs 1 (Donnay Jansen) Club Tijuana 2 (Luis Ruiz, Jesus Rodriguez)
Reggio Audace 1 (Ayman Sanat) Bidvest Wits 3 (Motihalosi Nare, Siphesihle Maseko, Daanyaal Daya)
SAFA Gauteng 1 (Riandre Vries) Club Brugge 2 (Samuel Mbangula, Ben van Lommel)
Highlands Park 1 (Albert Risen) RCD Espanyol 1 (Mateo) – RCD Espanyol won 4-2 on pens
FC Spartak 1 (Magomedemin Rabadanov) Orlando Pirates 1 (Thabani Gumede) – Pirates won 8-7 on pens

Girls’ competition
SAFA Johannesburg 2 (Aliyaah Allie, Glovanna Barbosa) Dr BW Vilakazi Secondary School 1 (Akhona Hadebe)
FINAL STANDINGS
1st – Orlando Pirates FC
2nd – FC Spartak (Russia)
3rd – Club Brugge (Belgium)
4th – SAFA Gauteng
5th – Club Tijuana (Mexico)
6th – Kaizer Chiefs
7th – Espanyol (Spain)
8th – Highlands Park
9th – Bidvest Wits
10th – Reggio Audace (Italy)
11th – All India Football Federation (India)
12th – Beijing Sinobo Guoan (China)
TOURNAMENT STATISTICS
Games Played: 30
Goals scored: 87
Biggest win: SAFA Gauteng 5 All India Football Federation 0
Most goals in a game: 5 – SAFA Gauteng 5 All India Football Federation 0

GOALSCORERS
5 goals – Mthokozisi Balakasi (Kaizer Chiefs)
4 – Riandre Vries (SAFA Gauteng)
3 – Daanyaal Daya (Bidvest Wits), Sviatoslav Kozhedub (FC Spartak), Samuel Mangula (Club Brugge), Mateo (RCD Espanyol), Magomedemin Rabadanov (FC Spartak), Albert Risen (Highlands Park), Ayman Sanat (Reggio Audace)
2 – Mario Lopez (Club Tijuana), Ryan Manning (SAFA Gauteng), Siphesihle Maseko (BidVest Wits), Lebo Matshaba (Highlands Park), Motihalosi Nare (Bidvest Wits), Cisse Sandra (Club Brugge)
1 – Arnau (RCD Espanyol), Yael Baltazar (Club Tijuana), Reece Bartlett (Kaizer Chiefs), Uwals Carrim (Bidvest Wits), Christian Castillo (Club Tijuana), Erick (RCD Espanyol), Estanis (RCD Espanyol), Robbie Gheerardyns (Club Brugge), Grabu (RCD Espanyol), Thabani Gumede (Orlando Pirates), Lennert Hallaert (Club Brugge), Guiseppe Iaquinta (Reggio Audace), Thando Jacobs (Bidvest Wits), Donnay Jansen (Kaizer Chiefs), Jerome Karelse (SAFA Gauteng), Jiawang Lu (Beijing Sinobo Guoan), Lorenzo Luchena (Reggio Audace), Tebogo Masuku (SAFA Gauteng), Stepan Melnikov (FC Spartak), Ndumiso Mkansie (Bidvest Wits), Siphamandla Msezane (Orlando Pirates), Aslan Mutaliev (FC Spartak), Harsh Patre (All India Football Federation), Marc Perez (RCD Espanyol), Yamkela Phalane (SAFA Gauteng), Jesus Rodriguez (Club Tijuana), Luis Ruiz (Club Tijuana), Ramses Serrano (Club Tijuana), Vlad Shitov (FC Spartak), Katleho Tsotetsi (Orlando Pirates), Ben van Lommel (Club Brugge), Yannis van Rumst (Club Brugge), Siyabonga Vilakazi (Highlands Park), Harsh Yadav (All India Football Federation)
Own goal – Sajad Parray og (All India Football Federation)

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