The Soccer Academy shines in Dubai

ACADEMY FOOTBALL

Another Ugandan team of junior footballers continued to prove that Uganda was a good breeding ground for footballers when they won a trophy in Dubai last week.

The under-11 from the Soccer Academy was the toast after they won the Dubai Winter Cup at the Dubai City Sports Academy ground.

The tournament is the biggest and most global international junior and youth Dubai tournament that is competed for by players from different academies, clubs, and soccer schools from around the world, in the boys' and girls' categories.

The Soccer Academy players pose with the Dubai Winter Cup that their Under-11 team won recently in Dubai, at their training ground in Kamwokya.

The Kamwokya based Soccer Academy fielded two boys' teams in the 7-aside tournament with the Under 11 winning a trophy.

They beat St. Christopher School from Bahrain 3-1 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in normal time. They opened their campaign with a 2-0 loss to Icons Football Academy before beating Hopians and Amanecer FC, 2-1 and 4-3 on penalties to claim the trophy.

Team Captain Jordan Kizito, Donell Tibihika, Victor Kahindi, Troy Gateja, Jeremiah Arinda, and Timothy Andinda scored the goals in the different matches.

Despite their goalkeeper Joshua Ntebekaine winning the best goalkeeper award in the under 9, the team wasn't as lucky as the U-11, losing to Aga Khan School 1-0 in the semis, having drawn with the Spanish Soccer Schools team 1-1 earlier.

Uganda had three other teams at the annual championship including; Lohana Academy, Aga Khan and Washington Soccer Academy.

"It was a good outing for the boys and we intend to continue exposing our youngsters to such tournaments," Derrick Amanya, the Soccer Academy coach who traveled with the team said.

The Soccer Academy U-11 team poses with the Dubai Winter Cup U-11 winners trophy