Dubai: In the final week of the Dubai group stages of duFC’s official UAE Schools and Streets Cup competitions, teams battled it out vying to top their groups and get one step closer to the du Football Champions Finals.
In the nation’s only international scouting tournament, La Liga scouts were also on the lookout for the top footballers who will go through a series of trials for the chance to be invited to join the du La Liga High Performance Centre.
Speaking about the surge in interest from youth in Dubai for the competition, Abdul Wahed Juma, Executive Vice-President of Brand and Corporate Communications, du, said, “It is great to see so many young footballers in Dubai pursuing their football aspirations through this platform. Youth development is high on our agenda and with duFC we are able to give youth across the UAE a clear pathway towards a pro-football career, which in just two years has already started to bear fruits with talents from previous seasons catching the eyes of international clubs and team and earning trials not only at La Liga clubs but with the national teams of their countries.”
In the UAE Schools Cup, the boys from DESC dominated to make it through in the Under 16 and Under 14 categories.
Commenting on the play, coach Paul Barratt from DESC said, “We are extremely excited to be back taking part in the DU Football Championship again this year. Our students enjoy challenging themselves in different environments and situations which the DU tournament certainly allows us to do. The opportunity for our students to sample different tactics and styles of play from across UAE during the competition is vital in the players long term development. We look forward to a positive run in the tournament and reaching the finals at Dubai Mall would be another superb achievement for all involved with DESC football.”
Joining them in the U16 category are Dubai National School Al Barsha and Al Watan Al Arabi, while in the U14 category they will be joined by National Charity School and Deira International School among others.
In the UAE Streets Cup, the youngsters came out in droves in an attempt to impress scouts and earn a trial at the du La Liga HPC.
In the U16 category, those moving forward include Fedoras United, Tomato FC and Al Nujoom, while Titans and FC Predators advanced in the U14s.
