The 7 Elite Academy International Tournament, presented by Greater Zion, will feature a team of Under-19s Boys from 7 Elite Academy Cape Town in South Africa.

The event, which has over 450 youth soccer teams from across the world registered to play, takes place at leading venues in Utah and Nevada on February 5-7.

Places for the tournament sold out in November, as it continues to develop into one of the biggest youth soccer events in the Western United States.

7 Elite Academy Cape Town was announced this month as the latest expansion for 7 Elite Academy, which now runs youth development programs on three continents.

As part of the two-week tour, the South African team will also visit local colleges and also play in the Las Vegas Mayor’s Cup just a few days later.

Michael Darby, Academy Director at 7 Elite Academy Cape Town, said: “This tournament is a huge opportunity for our players to sample high quality soccer in an incredible location.

“From speaking to my colleagues in Utah and Liverpool, we will face teams that play at a very good level, but we are more than ready.

“The coaching facilities are first class and we will also get to see local colleges and universities, with a view to securing college scholarships for our players.

“Since launching the partnership with 7 Elite Academy a few days ago, we’ve seen a huge amount of interest in our Cape Town programme.

“We give boys aged 14 to 19 from across the world an opportunity to play, live and train in the spectacular location of Hout Bay, while also getting a high quality education.”

The tournament will now feature overseas teams from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada, as well as the best teams from across the USA.

Nick Nield, 7 Elite Academy International Tournament Director, said: “I am delighted that we will welcome another international team to our tournament in February.

“The addition of a team from South Africa will add yet another dimension to what is already a fascinating line-up of teams. It is going to be a highly competitive few days.

“Our players from Utah will gain a huge amount from facing so many overseas teams. They will sample new playing styles and cultures, while also making lifelong friendships.

“It will also be a chance for our players to find out more about the incredible opportunities available to them in South Africa, thanks to our new partnership with 7 Elite Academy Cape Town.”