Gauteng Cup produces thrill-a-minute soccer
08 March 2016
Four more teams booked their place in the Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament after another successful hosting of the Gauteng Cup at the weekend, with all the qualifiers coming from academy teams of Premier Soccer League (PSL) sides.
It was a thrilling day of football at the Eldorado Park Extension 6 soccer grounds as Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, Bidvest Wits and Black Aces all sealed a place in the prestigious Future Champions Gauteng competition from March 14-19 in Soweto.
They finished top of their groups, with Sundowns edging Chiefs 1-0 in their semifinal thanks to a solitary goal from Siphamandla Ntuli, who took his tally for the day to five.
The second semifinal was a tight affair as Black Aces and Bidvest Wits played to a 1-1 draw, with the latter claiming the penalty shootout win 4-3.
The final will be played as a curtain-raiser to a bigger game on a date still to be announced. The four join seven top international sides and Orlando Pirates FC, who qualified as winners of last year’s Gauteng Cup competition.
Chiefs won all three games in Group 1, with striker Sibongi Hlengwa providing an outstanding performance on the day when he grabbed six goals, including a hat-trick against Clapham High School.
They defeated last year’s Future Champions Gauteng finalists SuperSport United 3-2 in their final group match that proved a decisive fixture in the group. Mamelodi Sundowns claimed a full haul of nine points in Group 2, including a 6-1 win over SAFA Sedibeng, in which Siphamandla Ntuli grabbed a hat-trick.
Bidvest Wits topped Group 3 after playing to a draw against the University of Pretoria in their final group game.
It followed a 4-0 victory over Rosina Sedibane Modiba Sport School, in which exciting prospect Shungu Dutiro grabbed all the goals for the Clever Boys. AmaTuks needed a win in the final fixture against Wits but were held to a draw and finished second in the group.
Black Aces won three from three in Group 4 and played some excellent football on the day, scoring eight goals and conceding just one in their matches. It is the first time that Black Aces have qualified for the Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament.
The four qualifiers for the Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament now join international sides Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro, defending champions Torino from Italy, Chinese team Shandong Luneng and Club Tijuana of Mexico, all previous winners of the competition.
Also competing are Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, top Belgian outfit Club Brugge, Ferroviario de Maputo from Mozambique and with Orlando Pirates.