Sixteen of the best under-15 teams from around the country all assembled at the state of the art facility in the heart of Soweto to find out who they would be grouped with for the three day tournament.
Nike athletes Itumeleng Khune, Siphiwe Tshabalala and Katlego Mphela were all on hand to assist with the proceedings through the official draw and all three players acknowledged the important role that this tournament played on the domestic calendar.
“I remember taking part in junior tournaments when I was a youngster and I always looked forward to the competition and competing against the best players” said Itumeleng Khune the Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper. “The MUPC has becoming the leading tournament in junior football and these young boys have a wonderful opportunity to showcase their talent and get noticed.”
The official draw panned out as follows:
Group A Group B
Orlando Pirates Ajax Cape Town
Moroka Swallows Old Mutual Academy
Vasco da Gama Balfour Alexandra
Bloemfontein Celtic Mamelodi Sundowns
Group C Group D
Bidvest Wits Tuks University
SuperSport Tottenham Academy Transnet School of Excellence
Mpumalanga Black Aces eThekwini United
Soweto FC Izichwe FC
“Over the past fourteen years, we have seen this tournament go from strength to strength and Nike take the lead in terms of youth development projects,” says Seruscka Naidoo, Nike Communications Manager for South Africa. “We look forward to seeing these talented young footballers in action over the course of the next few days and ultimately to support the Champions of this tournament who will travel to Manchester to represent South Africa at the Global Finals.”
The MUPC tournament, supported by the Gauteng Provincial Government and Soweto Football Association, kicks off on Friday, 10th June at 9:00am.
“Nike is committed to ensuring that young players develop both on and off the field of play. In addition to participating in the tournament over the course of the weekend, the players will also undergo a series of highly beneficial football-based Life Skills programmes that are designed to educate the youngsters about the prevention and awareness of HIV/AIDS”, concludes Seruscka Naidoo.
The closing ceremony will be held at the Nike Football Training Centre Soweto following the final game scheduled at 15:00 on Sunday. The tournament is open to the public and entrance is free.
