Dubai: More than two weeks after returning from Spain where they took on four top La Liga youth teams as part of a gruelling 17-day training camp, members of the duFC Elite Team say they still haven’t gotten over their “experience of a life-time”.
The Dubai-based team, made up of UAE Schools and Streets Cup U16 winners and other top talent, played four international-level friendly matches against Malaga, Real Betis, Cordoba and Granada, before returning with a 2-1 win against the El Graná. However, if you ask team captain Mohamad Bouherrafa to reflect on the results, the 15-year-old will say winning or losing didn’t matter in the end.
Unforgettable trip
“For me, this trip was an incredible experience and the greatest opportunity of my life. I will never forget the amazing training we had every day and our La Liga coaches who knew exactly how to motivate us to do our best and prepare us for our matches against the professional youth teams of La Liga,” says the French youth. His most memorable moment during the trip, he says, was when he was handed the captain’s badge ahead of his team’s opening match against Granada.
“I didn’t expect it and for him (coach Rafael Gil) to trust in my ability to lead our team was an amazing feeling and then going on to win the match (against Granada C.F.) was just the icing on the cake. It was a true reflection of how hard we had worked together as a team during our physical and technical training and our determination to do well on the day,” adds the central mid-fielder who moved to Dubai about two years ago.
For Abu Dhabi’s Mohannad Wahdan Wadi, who plies his trade in the duFC team as a centre-back, the trip will remain forever etched in his memory for Spain’s historical and cultural heritage. But in terms of footballing, he says, the highlight will always be his team’s win over Granada CF whose senior team was once briefly coached by none other than the great Vavá.
“Our win away at Granada CF no doubt remains the standout moment. We came in focused after a very challenging match two days earlier. Even after we conceded the first goal, we kept our heads up and came back from behind to score two goals to win the match. I’ll never forget that feeling of winning and we couldn’t have gotten there without our dedication as a team and everything that we learned from our coaches,” says the Palestinian-Jordanian who grew up in the UAE.
Meanwhile, Serbian Luka Eric says he is hopeful of going on many more such trips with his team in the future. Yet, this one, he adds, will always be ‘one of a kind’.
“The most challenging aspect was keeping up the level of concentration and stamina during the matches. Spanish football is on a whole other level and we experienced that first hand,” explains the 16-year-old who also, like his captain Bouherrafa, plays as a central mid-fielder.
From July 15 to August 1, the duFC Elite squad trained twice a day with sessions focusing on offensive and defensive play, specialised goalie training, fitness and stamina building and classroom sessions while playing four friendly matches.
The 18-member select duFC Elite team was put together from over 7,000 players who attended the du Football Champions, the only international scouting platform that was created in partnership with La Liga to enable youth from across the UAE to pursue international football careers.
