English champions Whitgift School finished 17th out of 40 teams at the Danone Nations Cup in South Africa.

They had a mixed bag of results with victories over Romania (1-0), Austria (2-0) and Egypt (2-1) but defeats to Japan (2-0), Ukraine (1-0) and USA (5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw). They also drew 1-1 with Bangladesh.

Steve Kember, coach of the Croydon school, said: “This has been an unforgettable experience for the boys.

“Playing in front of a crowd this size, seeing South Africa and joining in with cultural experiences is something we will never forget.

“Our players have done us proud and we would like to thank Danone for letting us experience this.

“Whatever the future path for each of our players, they will have something incredible to tell their children.”

The host nation beat Switzerland 2-0 in the final.