Youth Development ● Nov 19, 2016
U15 International Challenge Cup 2016 – Opposition Watch
U15 INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE CUP 2016 – OPPOSITION WATCH
The Under-15 International Challenge Cup, which runs from 21-27 November 2016, will see five foreign teams take on three sides from Singapore – the National Football Academy (NFA) Under-14 and Under-15 teams, as well as a Centre of Excellence (COE) Combined Team.
Hailing from Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam, the overseas teams were selected to further the development of our young footballers by exposing them to varying styles of football played by high-quality opposition.
The preliminary round matches will be played at the Singapore Sports School, with the semi-finals and final of the Cup to be held at Jalan Besar Stadium. All matches are open to the public, and admission is free. Click here for the full list of fixtures.
Read on to find out more about the invited teams!
Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (Malaysia)
Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) Under-15s is part of JDT‚Äôs youth development programme. The project is based in Educity, Nusajaya, Johor Bahru. This July, the Under-15s reached the finals of the Majlis Sukan Sekolah Johor (MSSJ) in Pontian, Malaysia.
Head coach: Alex Kuschmann
Matsumoto Yamaga FC (Japan)
Matsumoto Yamaga FC Youth Academy was established in May 2003 in Japan. It aims to train and develop youths into professional football players who will continue to play the sport in future. The International Challenge Cup will be the Youth Academy’s first participation in an international tournament.
Head coach: Takahiro Nishino
Mendiola FC (Philippines)
Mendiola FC Under-15s is under the Apuesto Bueno programme based in the Philippines and comprises players from all over the country. The programme seeks to groom promising players through extensive training and exposure to local and international tournaments. The team finished third in its age group at this year’s Borneo Football Cup, organised by the Football Association of Malaysia.
Head coach: Eliezer Fabroada
St. Monica’s College – Northern Football Academy (Australia)
The Northern Football Academy of St. Monica’s College was formed in 2007 and aims to give young players experience in the international arena. The Academy is based in Melbourne, Australia but sources players from all over Victoria. They were previous winners of the Great Wall Cup in China, the Kuala Lumpur Youth Tournament and Singapore’s Singa Cup.
Head coach: Mark Torcaso
Promotion Fund of Vietnamese Football Talents (Vietnam)
Based in Vietnam, Promotion Fund of Vietnamese Football Talents – commonly known as PVF – was founded by three members in 2012: Kind Heart Foundation, Vincom Joint Stock Company and Vinpearl Tourism and Trading JSC.
The PVF Under-15 team is composed of the best players born in 2001 and 2002, selected from cities and provinces nationwide. Having trained together for almost four years, the cohesiveness within the team is reflected in their consistently stellar results. Most recently, the team were runners-up at the Under-15 National Championship 2016.
Head coach: Phan The Hieu
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