AmaZulu, Durban Ladies out to defend Engen KOC titles

Own Correspondent

KWAZULU-Natal Engen Knockout Challenge champions Durban Ladies and AmaZulu FC will be out to defend their titles in the tournament to be held at the University of KwaZulu-Natal today and tomorrow.

Edgewood Campus is where the 2023 Champions will meet the other 11 girls and 11 boys teams in the battle for KZN honours and the right to represent the province at the Engen Champ of Champs later this year.

Sunflower FC, Umlazi Lions and UKZN FC were drawn in a tough Group B dubbed as the ‘group of death’.

In the boys section, AmaZulu will be hoping to defend their title as the only PSL affiliated side again this season. They have been drawn in Group B against Inanda XI and the highly spirited Mtuba FC.

It will be a battle of academies in Group A which will see eThekwini Centre of Excellence, eThekwini Coastal FC and Lindelani FC taking each other head on.

Meanwhile, eBhayi FC and Nav Galaxy FC were recently crowned Eastern Cape champions at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

The return of the tournament to the talent-rich Eastern Cape province lived up the high expectations, with all 24 participating teams producing quality youth football.

The crowning of eBhayi in the boys and Nav Galaxy in the girl division means the province will be represented by new teams at this year’s Engen Champ of Champs, with eBhayi dethroning Chippa United in the boys section, while Nav Galaxy took the crown from former champions City Lads FC.

KZN Engen Knockout Challenge Draw:

Girls:

GROUP A: Durban Ladies, Babhambe FC, Adams Academy FC

GROUP B: Sunflower FC, Umlazi Lions, UKZN FC

GROUP C: DUT FC, Toti Ladies, Shooting Stars,

GROUP D: Westville Ladies, Lindelani Ladies, Crusaders FC

Boys:

GROUP A: eThekwini Centre of Excellence, eThekwini Coastal FC, Lindelani FC

GROUP B: AmaZulu FC, Inanda XI, Mtuba Spurs FC

GROUP C: KZN Academy, Midlands Academy, Mandeni Celtics FC

GROUP D: Shayamoya Academy, Kusekhaya FC, Shining Stars FC