adminRoc Nation Sports International yesterday announced that Mamelodi Sundowns’ Under-15 side will play in this year’s Kevin De Bruyne Cup.
Global football icon Kevin De Bruyne, who plays for Manchester City and Belgium, has associated his name with the KDB Cup ever since the inaugural edition took place in 2016.
It is now widely-regarded as the most prestigious youth tournament in Europe, with the sixth edition of the immensely popular two-day event set to take place on June 10 and 11 in Belgium.
This year will be the first time the tournament has gone global, with representation from across three continents, including South America, Europe and Africa.
It has been officially confirmed that Mamelodi Sundowns’ youth team will take part in the KDB Cup for the first time this year, joining Under-15 counterparts such as Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
This historic move was facilitated by Roc Nation Sports International, the world-renowned sports agency that represents De Bruyne.
The inclusion of Mamelodi Sundowns’ youth team is a major accomplishment for a club that is known as an ambitious, inspiring, and dynamic organisation that aspires to be the biggest African football team in the world.
Mamelodi Sundowns chairman Tlhopie Motsepe said: “Our club and supporters are very excited for our academy players.
“As much as we know that this is a wonderful opportunity to expose our youngsters to different styles of football and a different way of life; we also believe that this is an opportunity for our youth team to expose the participating clubs to African football and African friendship.”
De Bruyne, who has previously played alongside African stars such as Kelechi Iheanacho, Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony at Manchester City, welcomed the addition of Mamelodi Sundowns to a star-studded roster of participants for the 2023 KDB Cup.
“It’s a proud moment for me to welcome Mamelodi Sundowns as the first African team to participate in the tournament.
‘‘We are well aware of the success and values Mamelodi Sundowns stands for as a club, and I have no doubt their youth team will be a wonderful addition to the team roster.
‘‘I’m so excited to meet the Sundowns team, and can’t wait to see our South African friends in June. Best of luck!” — IOL Sport.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter