On Thursday it was confirmed that Mamelodi Sundowns’ Under-15 side will participate in this year’s Kevin De Bruyne Cup, becoming the first African team to join the immensely popular two-day event.
Global football icon Kevin De Bruyne, who plays for Manchester City and Belgium, has proudly 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 set to take place on 10-11 June 2023 in Belgium.
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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 U15 counterparts such as Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
In a simple tweet that already has views of more than 1.7million, De Bruyne commented on the news, stating “Welcome boys!”
As part of the press release, the famous footballer also 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!”
Sundowns are part of a blockbuster team roster for the 2023 KDB Cup:
- MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
- FC BARCELONA
- PSG
- BAYERN MUNICH
- MANCHESTER CITY
- ODENSE BOLDKLUB
- KAA GENT
- CLUB BRUGGE
- RB LEIPZIG
- PALMEIRAS
- REAL MADRID
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