Opportunity of a lifetime for 25 kids

TWENTY-five players from the Northern Areas Football Association club will have the opportunity of a lifetime when they participate in an international soccer tournament in Spain next month.

The excitement among the young players is tangible as the date for their departure to participate in the Barcelona Summer Cup draws nearer, team leader Shadia George said yesterday.

The tour party will consist of two teams, chosen from the U-12 and U-16 divisions, who will take on the some of the best junior sides from around the world with the aim of making an impression on their international counterparts.

“For this specific tournament, the core of players will come from Nafa teams of the year for 2016. It is only if we do not have enough players that we open it up to other players, and we give parents this period in order for them to source funding for the trip,” George said.

While this will be the first time a group of Nafa-affiliated players will visit the home of the 2010 Fifa World Cup champions, it will be the fourth tour to take place since the initiative’s inception in 2007.

“We have been to countries like England, the Netherlands and Portugal in our previous tours, and we engage in coaching clinics ahead of the tournament.

“This time, we will go straight into the tournament, due to us only arriving a few days before the time,” she said.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our kids, because there are usually teams of international scouts there.

“Moreover, this gives these kids an opportunity to explore places outside of their comfort zones – some of them have never been outside PE, so it is a massive thing for them.”

George said there would be a handover ceremony at which the group would be presented with various kit items such as tracksuits, water bottles and tog bags, to be held on June 24.

Their journey to Barcelona will start with an 800km trip to Cape Town on June 27, before they depart for the Spanish city on June 28.