Ntsie Maphike who replaced the recently deceased Patrick ‘Ace’ Ntsolengoe as the coach of the Kaizer Chiefs Under 15 team will undergo his toughest assignment yet with his new charges this coming long weekend.

The young Chiefs team begin their journey to qualify for the Manchester United Premier Cup, to be held in Manchester England sometime in July. Maphike who spent almost ten years with Chiefs as a player between 1988 and 1998 will first have to ensure that the team he recently took over, return victorious from this weekend’s South African qualifiers.

Maphike’s team avoided the defending champions Moroka Swallows in the sixteen-team finals competition, which sees the teams divided into four groups comprising of four teams per group.

In the round robin stage of the competition, each team will play three games, the top placed team in each group proceeds to the semi final and the two semi final winners will contest the final.

The winner of the final will be South Africa’s representatives at the 2006 Manchester United Premier Cup which will take place in Manchester.

The young Chiefs have been given a relatively favourable draw and will open up the competition against Africa Sport who hail from Vereeneging in the Vaal triangle near Johannesburg.

Their next group game will see them come face to face with Arcadia Shepard’s from Tshwane and they will round off the group matches on Saturday Morning when they play Welkom Juventus who usually play out of Welkom in the Free State.

Should the Chiefs youngsters proceed to the semi final’s - they will come up against the winners of Group A, which in all probability could be in the form of Ajax Cape Town or Mamelodi Sundowns, who have been tipped as the favourites to proceed from that group.

The tournament will kick off at the Simba Stadium in Pimville, Soweto this Friday the 16th June at 10h00 and will come to a climax when the finals take place on Saturday afternoon.

Groups for the 2006 South African Qualifying Rounds of the Manchester United Premier Cup

Group A					Group B



Bush Bucks			         Kaizer Chiefs



Katlehong Juniors				Arcadia Shepard’s



Mamelodi Sundowns				Africa Sport



Ajax Cape Town				Welkom Juventus



Group C					Group D	



Moroka Swallows			         Orlando Pirates



Silver Stars				Dlamini XI Experience



Super Sport United 			School Of Excellence



Westville Old Boys				Jomo Cosmos