Engen Champ of Champs launched

ENGEN in partnership with SuperSport United recently launched the first ever Engen Champ of Champs tournament.

The national championship will see the five regional Engen u.17 winners, including the host club face off against each other on the weekend of October 10 and 12 for the right to be named the best team in the country at the specific age level.

The event will take place at the Nike Football Centre in Pimville, Soweto.

SuperSport u.17 coach Ricardo Katza is excited by the event and is hoping his team can use not only home advantage, but also the experience of their six national team representatives to go on and lift the cup.

“This is a great initiative from Engen, all these years they’ve had all these tournaments and now they have brought it all together and if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best and I think the best teams are here,” said Katza.

‘”We speak about Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates and all that, but for me whichever teams are left, those are the six best teams. Obviously the standard is high, but that is good for South African football, especially at 17 years of age and at SuperSport we even have 14 year old’s playing.

“Success for me, for us at the club if we lose the tournament and we have six players in the national team, it can’t compare. What we also try and do is, yes a lot of academies have won tournaments, our goal is not only to win the tournament, but we will also want to see these players in the national team.”

Katza said, “Gone are the days where we have to wait till 25 for a tournament; the Engen Knockout Championship gives the young players a chance to play at 17.”

SuperSport Director of Football Stan Matthews said: “Winning the regional leg was great, but we have to thank our sponsors Engen for the hard work they have put in, we salute you.”

Harmony Academy head coach Pitso Mokoena has no doubt that his side will lift the trophy come October. The Free State outfit has seen the likes of Lerato Manzini and Luvolwethu Mpeta come through the ranks.

“We are going to win this tournament, not lose, not draw, just win,” Mokoena claimed.

Bidvest Wits head coach Cesar Maphala is just as confident, explaining that opening day opponents AmaZulu can expect a big hiding.

“They (AmaZulu) must expect a very big hiding,” Maphala said.

The six teams that have made it through to the finals are Bidvest Wits, AmaZulu, African Sports Development, Port Elizabeth Sundowns, Harmony Academy and hosts SuperSport United, who won the Gauteng leg of the event with Gauteng runners-up taking the spot of the sixth team.

“Engen is very proud to be at the forefront of youth football development in the country, and it is rewarding for the company to know that six young talented players, who have participated in the regional rounds, have been called up for national duty to represent the country.” said Brad Bergh, Engen’s Group Sponsorship Manager.

Full opening fixtures:

Harmony vs PE Sundowns

Bidvest Wits vs Amazulu

SuperSport United vs ASD