United Future Stars were crowned Drieziek Lion Under-11 Top 16 Tournament champions after defeating Dangerous Darkies 2–0 in the final at Drieziek Extension 5 on Sunday, 1 November. The final was played next to Solwazi Primary School, where the young footballers capped an impressive tournament campaign with a convincing victory to lift the trophy.
United Future Stars began their journey on 17 October with a 1–0 win over All Pop All Grap in the Round of 16. They continued their strong performance the following day, beating Kasi Lifestyle FC 1–0 in the quarter-finals to secure a place in the last four.
On 25 October, the team faced Soccer Promoters in the semi-finals and secured a 2–0 victory to book their place in the final. Their opponents, Dangerous Darkies, proved to be the final challenge, but United Future Stars maintained their winning form to claim the championship.
Beyond the results, the tournament provided an opportunity for young footballers to showcase their abilities, gain match experience and develop their skills through grassroots sport. United Future Stars chairperson, Tshepiso “Nkunzi” Ncala, expressed pride in the players’ achievement and acknowledged the contribution of Under-11 head coach Neo Ramodzi for his commitment, leadership and role in developing the team.
Ncala said the achievement highlighted the importance of teamwork, dedicated coaching and creating a positive sporting environment for young players.
“Our responsibility as coaches and sports developers is not simply to prepare players for matches, but to prepare young people for life. We want to identify talent, develop discipline, create opportunities and guide children towards a better future through sport,” he told OFN.
He also thanked Drieziek Lion for organising the competition and providing a platform for grassroots football development. United Future Stars said it remains committed to identifying and nurturing young talent while creating opportunities for children to grow through sport.
The organisation believes that investing in young footballers goes beyond developing their abilities on the field, but also helps build discipline, character and leadership. Its message remains: “We do not only build football players; we build character, discipline and future leaders.”
