The global adventures of the Kaizer Chiefs Junior teams looks set to continue in the coming weeks as the Kaizer Chiefs under seventeen team have accepted an invitation to compete in the Mundialito U-17 tournament, to be held in Spain from the 25th August to the 3rd September.

The sixteen-team event will be played in and around the historical and culturally rich city of Albecete about 200 km, South East of the Spanish Capital of Madrid.

Although the Kaizer Chiefs Under 17 team are coached by Doctor Khumalo, the former Kaizer Chiefs midfield wizard will not be accompanying his team to Spain, as he will be in Germany attending a month-long coaching course. Khumalo will be replaced for the tournament by Kaizer Chiefs under nineteen coach Ryder Mofokeng.

It all begins for the young Chiefs team on the 25th of August when they take on their under 19 counterparts of Spanish Primera division team Valencia in the city of Villarrobledo around 90km from the city of Albecete.

Two days later they will face up to one of the most renowned academy teams in central America, in a match that pits them up against crack Mexican outfit Pumas UNAM, in the town of Almansa which is 70 km outside of Albecete.

The young Chiefs will round off their group fixtures against Portuguese outfit Benfica a day after meeting the Mexican team, many might feel that history favour’s The Amakhosi in this tie as the only previous meeting between the two teams ended in a 1-0 victory for Chiefs, when the Chiefs first team met their Benfica counterparts in a friendly game played in Pretoria in 1995.

In their final group game the young Chiefs team will not have to travel too far as the game will take place less than 500 meters from the Universidad Hotel in Albecete where they will be based and will be played at the nearby Estadio Carlos Belmonte.

In May this year the Chiefs Under-19 team gave a good account of themselves at the Hong Kong Sevens tournament, where they reached the semifinals and along the way they defeated the likes of Manchester United and Glasgow Celtic.

Ryder Mofokeng is hopeful that his team can go one better, although he is aware that they face some stiff opposition “for the boys this will really be an amazing experience, we are not going there simply to make up the numbers, but we are also aware of the enormity of the task in front of us”.

The team will jet out of Johannesburg on the 22nd August for Madrid and will then make their way by road to Albecete and are planning to return home on the 5th September. The tournament organizers have ensured that the team return from Spain with a knowledge of the countries people and traditions as they have arranged a number of cultural tours for the team.

While Ryder Mofokeng will lead the team out on to the pitch, Abdullah Mayet has been selected, as the head of delegation and Cecil Motaung will travel along as team manager.

Kaizer Chiefs U-17 Fixtures at the Mundialito Tournament in Spain

25th August 06


Villarrobledo


Valencia CF (ESP) Vs Kaizer Chiefs (RSA)

27th August 06


Almansa


Pumas UNAM (MEX) Vs Kaizer Chiefs (RSA)

28th August 06


Albecete


Benfica (POR) Vs Kaizer Chiefs (RSA)

¼ Finals 30th August


½ Finals 1st September


FINALS 3rd September

Groups 



Group 1				Group 3



Real Madrid (ESP)			F.C. Barcelona (ESP)



Feyernoord (NED)			Partizan F.C. (SCG)



C.A. Boca Juniors (ARG)		C.D. Universidad Catolica (CHI)



D.C. United (USA)			Albacete Balompie (ESP)



Group 2				Group 4



Real Betis B (ESP)			Valencia C.F. (ESP)



A.C. Milan (ITA)			Benfica (POR)



Sao Paolo F.C. (BRA)		Pumas UNAM (MEX)



Yong In F.C. (KOR)			Kaizer Chiefs (RSA)