The Engen Champ of Champs, in proud partnership with the South African Football Association (Safa), concluded at Marks Park in Johannesburg on Monday, 02 October 2023, with a familiar name grabbing national bragging rights in the women’s event and new men’s champions crowned after two nail-biting finals.
This year, Engen Knockout Challenge regional tournaments were held in Durban (KwaZulu-Natal), Johannesburg (Gauteng), and Cape Town (Western Cape), with the respective male and female winners securing their places in the Engen Champ of Champs, where they were joined by select clubs representing the country’s six other provinces.
This year also marked the 21st anniversary of the Engen Knockout Challenge, which since its inception in 2003 has grown into arguably South Africa’s most prestigious youth football competition providing a platform for aspiring footballers to showcase their skills to scouts from professional clubs.
With nine provincial representatives in each section, a total of 18 teams descended on the Wits Sports Complex at Marks Park between 30 September and 02 October to determine who would be crowned the 2023 Engen Champ of Champs.
After three-days of non-stop action, the University of Johannesburg retained their crown in the under-20 ladies’ event for the third year running, while Stellenbosch FC were crowned winners in the under-18 men’s division.
After finishing top of their group despite suffering a surprise loss, UJ saw off a resilient Mafikeng Ladies 2-0 in the semifinals to advance to the final, where they faced off against Cape Town City Roses, who came into the tournament with a young squad that impressed on their way to a place in the championship decider.
After an evenly balanced match that ended 1-1, the champions were decided from spot kicks as UJ triumphed 5-4 in the penalty shootout.
In the men’s section, Stellenbosch FC finished top of a tough group with two wins and two draws before advancing to the semis where they met Virginia Sports Academy, the Western Cape team edging the Free Staters 1-0 to set up a mouthwatering final against Sundowns who saw off Chippa United in their semifinal.
In the showpiece match, Stellenbosch took an early lead from a corner only to throw ‘Downs a lifeline by conceding in the dying stages before the lottery of penalties ensued with Stellenbosch holding their nerve to edge matters 5-4.
Concluding what has been another exceptional year of the Engen Knockout Challenge and Engen Champ of Champs, External Communications Manager at Engen, Gavin Smith thanked all stakeholders for making the 21st edition of the event a special celebration.
“As proud sponsors of the Engen Knockout Challenge and Engen Champ of Champs, we are honoured to contribute to the development of youth football in South Africa. In addition to the thousands of players, we also want to recognize all the coaches, referees and administrators that have honed their skills at this tournament over the years,” said Smith.
“As we close off an exceptional Engen Champ of Champs, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to Safa and all our stakeholders for walking this exciting journey with us over the past 21 years as we now look forward to positively impacting the lives of young people through football in the years ahead,” he concluded.
