Stellenbosch FC have been invited to India to defend their Premier League Next Gen Cup crown in a tournament that includes three English Premier League sides and four from India.
Stellies U21 team raced to the title at last year’s edition of the competition in the United Kingdom following a much-celebrated 7-2 victory over Leicester City in the final.
They have been now invited to defend their crown at this year’s tournament and will once again take on opposition from the Premier League and the Indian Super League, the club confirmed.
“The other participating teams set to take part in the prestigious youth competition include Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and West Ham United, as well as local sides Sudeva Delhi, Mohun Bagan, Reliance Foundation Young Champs, and Bengaluru FC,” Stellies stated on their website.
“Final fixture details are yet to be released but Stellenbosch FC have been drawn in Group A alongside two unconfirmed Indian Super League sides and one Premier League opponent, with the matches scheduled to be played on 17, 20, and 23 May, respectively.
“The Stellies team, led by Evangelos Vellios and Jason Rhoda, will depart for India on Monday, 15 May 2023 ahead of their opening encounter and will partake in numerous footballing and other cultural activities throughout the duration of their stay.”
Stellenbosch beat Nottingham Forrest 4-1 in the semi-final of last year’s edition before thrashing a youth team of Leicester City 7-2 in the final.
Players such as Devon Titus, Antonio Van Wyk, Jayden Adams and the late Oswin Andries stared at the tournament and have since become a permanent feature in Steve Barker’s first team.
Image credit: Stellenbosch
