South Africa’s largest youth football development tournament, the Engen Knockout Challenge officially got underway on Friday, 30 June at the Siripat Road Sports Ground in Reservoir Hills.
A total of 32 Teams, equally split between Boys (U18) and Girls (U20) are in action for the next three days for an opportunity to be crowned champions and subsequently secure a place at this year’s Engen Champ of Champs, where they will represent KwaZulu-Natal against the other eight provincial champions.
The full day of action saw a number of exciting fixtures in both the Boys and Girls divisions as the race to finish in the knockouts of the tournament got heated from the opening whistle.
After the opening day, New Age Development, Langalibalele, KZN Academy and Magic Future Stars finished top of their groups in the Boys division, while tournament hosts, Durban Ladies, Sunflower FC, Shooting Stars as well as Umlazi Arsenal were at the summit after some hard fought victories in the Girls Division.
Sharing his thoughts on the success of the opening day was, Engen’s Communications Manager, Gavin Smith who said the first day of the tournament was a resounding success.
“As expected, the opening day proved to be a resounding success thanks to the excitement of the teams and talent that was on display throughout the day. With this year being the 21st edition of the tournament, Engen is pleased to be playing such a crucial role in aiding youth football development through this unique platform that is giving both boys and girls an opportunity to showcase and develop their talent. We look forward to the rest of the tournament”, Smith.
The action continues over the weekend and concludes on Sunday where the winners in both the boys and girls divisions will be crowned.
