The top under-17 football teams from across South Africa will soon lock horns in a fierce battle to determine which club can call themselves the “best of the best.” The 2017 Engen Champ of Champs will kick off at the University of Pretoria on Thursday, 5 October with the champions being crowned on Sunday, 8 October. 
The tournament pits the five regional Engen Knockout Challenge winners and host club Supersport United against each other over the course of the 4-day event.

It also provides a platform for the players to showcase their talent in front of leading football scouts who are looking to unearth the superstars of tomorrow. The draw for the much anticipated showdown took place at the Southern Sun Hyde Park on Tuesday,19 September 2017.

Representatives of the five regional Engen Knockout Challenge champions - Old Mutual Football Academy (Cape Town), Shining Stars (Port Elizabeth), Durban FC (Durban), Virginia Sports Academy (Bloemfontein), Stars of Africa (Johannesburg) and host club SuperSport United all gathered to witness the draw.

Football luminaries and journalists from Johannesburg and Pretoria were also on hand to meet and greet the participating club captains and coaches as well as representatives of the tournaments sponsors, Engen.
The draw revealed a few interesting match-ups for the opening day of the tournament on 5 October 2017.
The opening game features Stars of Africa against Old Mutual in a North v South battle. Both teams will be keen to start the tournament with a positive result.

Tournament debutants Durban FC and Shining Stars kick-off their 2017 Engen Champ of Champs challenge against SuperSport United and Virginia Academy respectively to complete the first round of games. Speaking after the draw, Supersport United CEO, Stan Matthews commended Engen for their ongoing support of football from grassroots to professional level.
 
“Today we are witnessing the next generation of football stars being groomed to play at the highest level.
 
“To the six captains here today, I want to say to you don’t get caught up in the trappings of the beautiful game. Go back to your teams, show your leadership qualities, lead by example, work hard and I can guarantee you that you will succeed in all you do,” said Matthews.
 
Brad Bergh, Engen Group Sponsorship Manager said the company celebrated the success of the 14th edition of the Engen Knockout Challenge in 2017and were also proud to be staging Engen Champ of Champs for the fourth consecutive year.
 
“It is important for us at Engen to reinforce our support for youth football and the development of young talent, and it makes us proud to know that the journey for many promising young football players started at the Engen Knockout Challenge,” said Bergh.
 
“We are proud to play a role in helping these players reach the highest level of professional football both at home and abroad.
 
“I urge all the aspiring players to use this platform as a stepping stone to the very top.  Your Journey Starts Here”, concluded Brad Bergh.