The u/17 Kaizer Chiefs team who are currently in Spain for the Mondialito u/17 Tournament, which sees them playing against some of the best young teams in the world. In Chiefs’ group they have the traditional football powerhouses of Spain’s Valencia, Portugal’s Benfica and Mexico’s Pumas UNAM. Despite the tough group, the team is in high spirits and are adjusting well to the warm Spanish climate, even though temperate soar to over 30°C. It is due to these extreme temperatures that the games are played at night, with the u/17’s playing their first game Friday night against the Los Ches, Valencia CF, at 19:00.

It will be no easy task for the u/17 Chiefs team who will be looking for a win over the u/17 Valencia team. Their football history is as rich as the Amakhosi’s, with Valencia’s senior team having qualified for the prestigious UEFA Champions League. The same, of course, can be said for Benfica. Despite the stiff competition, Abdullah Mayet, the head of the Chiefs delegation in Spain, is positive his team will be up for the challenge. They have been training on pitches at the Albecete Municipal grounds, which are 60/40, that is 60% artificial grass and 40% real grass, making the ball move quite fast across the pitch. But Mayet believes the faster surface suits the style of the young Amakhosi.

As for their competition, Mayet says the other team’s players are much bigger than the South Africans, with most of them levelling around 6 foot, but he believes that “skill is better than strength at this stage, which is why I think we will qualify for the next round.” The tournament has four groups, with the top two qualifying for the quarterfinals, with the ultimate prize being crowned the u/17 Mondialito Champions, having outshone and outplayed some of world football’s heavyweights.

The team is so serious about their training that the Chiefs delegation have not have much time to sightsee, only walking around one shopping mall. All their focus and concentration is on their games. And rightfully so, they play Puma’s (MEX) on Sunday and Benfica (POR) on Monday.

Kaizer Chiefs wishes their u/17’s the best of luck and are proud of them for their representation of South African club football.