16 Mar 2017
Doha, 16 March 2017. The latest Tri-Series football tournament featuring Nagoya Grampus FC from Japan, Malaysia national teams the hosts, Aspire's feeder teams in the Under 11 and Under 12 age groups concluded on Wednesday 15th March at Aspire Academy. Aspire U-11s clinched the cup thanks to a total of thirteen (13) goals they scored in their two matches.
Speaking after the tournament, Aspire Academy U-11 head coach, Fouad El Fdil stressed the invaluable experience his charges get from playing against teams from their same Confederation (Asia) at such a young age, “I am pleased with the way my team has been able to cope and compete positively against two strong football styles and opponents. There are always lots of goals in this age group and you have to keep the boys going and motivated and I thought our Aspire boys handle what was a difficult game against Malaysia very well and they kept having at go. These games give us good challenge and are really immense opportunities to learn how to deal with each different opposition so these boys grow up used to playing against teams from Japan and Malaysia.
Malaysia football development programmers coach, Saad Ichalalene, sang praises of the Tri-Series tournament and the sport development programmes run by Aspire Academy. “I have been here before in my previous work with French side, PSG and all involved both staff and boys have a high regard for the tournament. We have literally put these two sides together a few weeks ago and overall they have performed well against good sides in Aspire and Nagoya. Like Aspire, Malaysia has embarked on football development with a focused goal to harness and nurture the talent in the country so as to produce top level footballers in future. It’s a game of patience but in Aspire we have a model and we encourage Aspire to keep going , these programmes are a long term project and l am talking about a ten year cycle to produce good competent players. We are all pleased with the way the tournament has gone and are grateful for the invitation extended to us to participate at this Tri- Series”
The Tri-Series resumes next week 19-23 March when , the two European club sides, Atletico Madrid from Spain and Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt bring their 2002, 2003 and 2004 Generation boys to play against Aspire Academy.