Monrovia – The Monrovia Football Academy is expected to participate in a one-week international tournament in Ivory Coast that will give the young Liberian players their first international experience.
Report by Christopher C. Walker- [email protected]
According to a release from the MFA on Tuesday, October 24, they have been invited to the Ivoire Académie of Abidjan tournament in Abidjan.
The tournament will run from October 30, 2017 to November 5, 2017.
They are the only representative from Liberia that will participate in the tournament’s U-15 age group, competing against clubs and academies from Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, according to the organizers of the tournament.
MFA says their team will comprise students and athletes in the age range of 4 to 6.
The team would also be the only team that would feature female players in the tournament.
They also pride themselves as being the youngest team among the participating teams.
Monrovia Football Academy is the first school in Liberia to combine quality education with professional football training.
Meanwhile, officials of MFA have express their happiness to participate in its first international tournament, but said their priority is academic excellence.
It is believed that scouts from some of the top clubs in Europe will be at the tournament to include English giant Manchester United, AS Monaco, and Nice of France amongst other clubs will be present to scout potential talent.
A total of 20 persons are expected to form part of the Monrovia Football Academy delegation that will comprise 15 players, 4 staffs and a videographer.
Even though getting funding for the team’s departure to Ivory Coast has been difficult, its founder Will Smith told FrontPage Africa his team will participate in the tournament at all cost.
“We will surely make the trip because majority of the things needed for us to travel have be worked on. I am of the conviction that these kids will make Liberia proud at their first international tournament,” Smith said.
He disclosed that the team will depart the country on Friday, October 27, 2017 for Abidjan and return on November 7.2017.
Smith said their participation in this tournament would not have been possible without the support of the official trip sponsor, Digital Ignition Entertainment.
He said as a way to appreciate the entity for their support, MFA would wear special jerseys with Digital Ignition Entertainment’s logo throughout the tournament.
MFA will kickoff their participation in the tournament against Ivoire Académie of Ivory Coast on Monday, October 30; and will battle things out with MT Soccer Foundation of Sierra Leone on Wednesday, November 1 and Magic Système Académie of Cote d’Ivoire on Friday, November 3.
The semi-finals and grand final of the tournament will be held on Sunday, November 5.
The Liberia team over the past three months has intensified training in a move to prove themselves at the tournament.
Star player Prince Toe commonly called Kante said he is delighted to make his first trip as a kid footballer, promising to do his best at the tournament.
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