Squads urged to seize the moment at KOC24 launch

OWN Correspondent|Published 9 months ago

Stellenbosch FC’s Keanu Toutie, left, keeps tabs on Ubuntu’s Losika Ratshukudo during last year’s Engen Knockout Challenge’s Cape cup final match, at the Rooikrans sports complex, in Grassy Park. This year’s edition will take place at Erica Park, in Belhar, from Friday June 7 till Sunday June 9. Picture: Fuad Esack

OWN CORRESPONDENT

The launch of the 2024 edition of South Africa’s largest youth football competition, the Engen Knockout Challenge, in partnership with Safa Cape Town, officially took place on Monday May 27 at Engen Headquarters on Thibault Square in the Cape Town CBD.

The launch, which included the official draw of the Cape Town leg of the competition, also saw the unveiling of the competition’s new tag line – It’s Your Moment, a call to action for aspiring footballers, coaches, match officials and administrators involved in the competition to seize the moment harness their respective talents.

The Erica Park sports ground, in Belhar, plays host to the Cape Town leg of the tournament, from Friday June 7 to Sunday June 9, where 32 teams, equally split between boys’ under-18 and girls’ under-20 will battle it out for a place at the national championships, where they’ll take on winners from across the country for the coveted Engen Champ of Champs title.

Speaking at the launch on Monday evening, Engen’s communications manager, Gavin Smith said that Engen was once again delighted to be providing a platform for aspiring footballers to harness their talent, with this year’s edition having a special focus on coaches and referees.

“Engen is proud to once again provide a platform for talent to be identified and further developed across the country through the Engen Knockout Challenge. The list of talent that has been identified, going on to shine at the highest level continues to make us proud of the investment we have made in the tournament. For this year’s edition, we want to pay special attention to how the tournament has and continues to be a springboard for young coaches and referees, a crucial aspect in the development of football talent,” said Smith.

Tournament ambassador and former SA under-20 coach, Thabo Senong, addresses the audience at the launch of the 2024 Engen Knockout Western Cape draw, at Engen Head Office, in Cape Town on May 27. Picture: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

Echoing the sentiments of Smith was one of the new faces of the tournament, coach Thabo Senong, who was coach of Orlando Pirates at the tournament before going on to be head coach the SA under-20 national team at two under-20 AFCON and FIFA World Cup competitions.

“We were all part of this tournament. As national team coaches, it was always easy for us to find talent when attending the Engen Knockout Challenge,” Senong said.

“We knew we would find the cream of the crop because this has always been one competition where the best players would develop their talent. In addition to this, the tournament has been an exciting platform for coaches like myself to meet and interact with other young coaches who have gone on to make a name for themselves at the highest level of football in the country,” he said.

Stellenbosch FC Academy’s Tylon Smith and Xavier Jodanus tussle for possession during last year’s Engen Knockout Challenge’s Cape cup final match. Picture: Fuad Esack

Looking at the draw results, reigning champions in the boys’ section, Stellenbosch United who went on to lift the Champ of Champs trophy in Johannesburg last year, headline an interesting Group D consisting of Hellenic FC, Eyethu and FN Rangers.

Cape Town City, Cape Town Spurs, Cape Ubuntu, Vasco Da Gama as well as SAFA Cape Town Academy are also some of the exciting teams to look out for this year.

The girl’s division drew up an equally exciting draw outcome, with last year’s champions, Cape Town Roses headlining Group A, consisting of Magic Ladies, Goal Hunters and Hotspurs Ladies FC.