Ubuntu Football Academy are champions

THE boys in black and red were on fire this season. Ubuntu Football Academy were crowned the Under18 (U18) Engen Champ of Champs champions in Johannesburg last weekend.

The club beat Durban-based AmaZulu FC 1-0 in the final.

Ubuntu were dominant from their first match and won all of their group games. They scored 11 goals and conceded one in their pool matches.

They went on to beat Limpopo outfit Mariveni United 4-2 in the semi-finals.

Ubuntu also walked away with two individual awards after Vusumzi Plamana was named Player of the Tournament and Cole van Coller was Top Goal Scorer.

They qualified for the competition after they were crowned the regional winners of the Western Cape, beating Cape Town City FC in the final. Ubuntu won 4-2 on penalties after the score was 1-1 in regulation time.

Coach and managing director Casey Prince said: “Winning a national event like Engen Champ of Champs is validation of the work we’ve been doing to develop individuals and teams in a unique and challenging way.

“We insist on playing the most attacking and possession-based football we can, so to have success playing that way is encouragement that we are on the right track. Plus, it’s so rewarding to see players you’ve been working with since a young age reach such a fantastic standard.

“The standard of competition was high, but we are also used to it because of the level of competition throughout Cape Town. There were three PSL academies there and we were able to play and defeat two of them.

“That’s now five professional teams that we defeated in our Engen journey between the regional and Champ of Champs,” he said.

To crown Ubuntu’s season, they were also U18 league champions of the Two Oceans LFA Western Cape High Performance League. Their U12, U14 and U16 teams were also league winners.

“I’m so pleased with the performances of all the age groups this year. We ask them to play a style of football that is the most attackminded, intense and risk-taking possible.” Prince said.

PICTURE: SUPPLIED UBUNTU Football Academy were crowned the Under-18 Engen Champ of Champs champions.