Europe will be well-represented at the 2015 Future Champions Gauteng International Tournament with three top teams from the continent taking part in the soccer event in Soweto from 23 to 28 March.
The three teams will be part of a field of 12 teams participating in a tournament that has become a highlight on the global U17 football calendar since its inception in 2009.
Making their debut at the tournament will be the U17 team of Italian Serie A side Torino, who hail from Turin and count giants Juventus as their major rivals.
Torino was one of the first teams in Italy to adopt a youth system, and has produced Italian internationals Fabio Quagliarella, Franco Semioli, Federico Balzaretti, Federico Marchetti and Angelo Ogbonna, among many others.
The club holds the record for the most youth league title wins in Italy having claimed 10. Torino will also be the second club from Italy to take part in the tournament after Inter Milan made an appearance in 2009.
English Barclays Premier League side Sunderland AFC will be sending their U17 team, returning for a second time after making their debut last year. They will be hoping to build on their seventh finishing position last year having gained a lot of experience from their first visit.
Also returning for a second year running is Netherlands side ADO Den Haag. Dutch academies are renowned for their excellence and ADO Den Haag is no different, having produced a number of top names in the past. The club finished ninth at the tournament last year, a solid base from which to build.
Boca Juniors from Argentina were crowned champions of the inaugural competition in 2009, with Chinese side Shandong Luneng victors in 2010, before Atletico Mineiro claimed the next two and triumphed again in 2012. Mexican side Club Tijuana won in 2013.
