Swansea City shine on the second day of the Metropolitan U19 Premier Cup

2 April 2015, Cape Town: Fans were treated to a consummate exhibition of top quality football by the academy team of English Premier League side, Swansea City, as the 2015 Metropolitan U-19 Premier Cup got into full swing at Erica Park in Cape Town on Thursday.

The Swans, who hail from north Wales, provided the highlight of Day Two of South Africa’s most prestigious youth football tournament, now in its 27^th year, when they outclassed local outfit, Battswood 4-0 in their Group C clash to move into pole position on goal difference ahead of Battswood and University of Stellenbosch, who beat Harmony Academy 1-0.

The spoils were shared across Group A, where Ajax v PPG Langa and Berea Albion v Vasco Da Gama both ended scoreless in a group that remains wide open. Over in Group B, Chippa United and Jumbo Giants played to a 1-1 draw and JL Zwane defeated host club, Bayhill United 3-0 to move to the top of the standings. Group D saw Bidvest Wits edge Southampton 1-0, while Milano United recorded an emphatic 4-0 victory over Fairview Rovers to virtually guarantee their progress to the knockout phase.  

In Group E, Supersport United won 2-1 against Glendene to move level with the local side at  the top and Invincible Cravenby joined them when they  bounced back from Wednesday’s defeat to score a 2-0 victory over Arcadia Shepherds.

Greenwood Athletic moved on to four points to lead Group F with a 5-0 triumph over Celtic United and University of Pretoria pouched three points with a 1-0 win over Blue Downs Spurs in their first game of the tournament. Zambian visitors, Zesco United suffered a first round loss to Hellenic by the only goal and Old Mutual Academy and Mamelodi Sundowns played out a 1-1 draw.

In Group H, AmaZulu were a class apart from Riverside United, scoring eight goals without reply. In the other game in the group, Morgenster United won 2-0 against Polokwane United after the first round of matches.

On Wednesday evening, all the squads attended Metropolitan’s life skills symposium, where they were entertained with an educational play that covered topics such as safe sex and HIV/Aids prevention,  financial responsibility, avoiding disruptive influences and protecting one’s public image among others. It is an integral part of Metropolitan’s holistic approach to sponsorship.  

“Our goal is to supply a platform for football legends in the making, not only on the field but as potential role models for future aspiring generations, which is why we always include a life skills component in our events. We aim to offer food for thought about issues that affect young people during the transition into adulthood and share insights into how to make good decisions that will benefit them positively throughout their lives,” said Vuyo Lee, MMI Executive for Brand and Corporate Affairs on behalf of Metropolitan.

The Good Friday programme kicks off at 15h00, with the official opening ceremony taking place at 18h45, followed by the Group A encounter between defending champions, Ajax and Berea Albion.