West Ham among top teams for Al Ain U-17s annual tournament

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  • Spotlight: Several U-17 players eventually make it to the senior Al Ain squad.

    Youth players from around the world will be following in the footsteps of UAE superstar Omar Abdulrahman when the Hazza bin Zayed International Football Tournament Under-17 competition begins on Thursday.

    Hosts Al Ain will be competing with seven other specially-invited sides from across the globe in the latest edition of the annual event.

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    Italian giants Internazionale and Premier League outfit West Ham United are the headline acts, the pair being joined by Egyptian powerhouses Al Ahly, Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb, La Liga’s Espanyol, Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol and Tunisia’s Al Afriqi.

    Some of the brightest young talents in football will be in action from March 26-31.

    The tournament has pedigree for showcasing exciting new stars, Abdulrahman being promoted to the Boss first team after shining in it six years ago.

    “For many of the players in the first team, this tournament is a major part of their development,” Al Ain U-17s coach Jamal Ali Mohammed Abdulla Al Hassani said. “Players like Omar Abdulrahman, Mohamed Abdulrahman and Fares Juma all played here.

    “Many players from Al Ain and other clubs that have played in the U-17s tournament are now very famous. It is a really valuable part of their development.

    “We want the current players to take on this kind of experience, and develop from there.”

    The eight competing teams are split into two groups, where the top two performers in each group advance to the semi-finals. The Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium and Hazza bin Zayed Stadium will play host to the contests.

    Al Ain have always performed well on home soil, but Al Hassani insisted development and not winning silverware was of key.

    He said: “The tournament is a very good one, year after year. It plays a key role in Al Ain’s strategy to develop the club and help it grow.

    “We want the Al Ain players to experience what it is like playing against European, African and Asian opposition. They will take many lessons from being exposed to these different schools.

    “They will see different tactics and approaches, be able to talk to players from different clubs and find out how they prepare themselves.

    “At this stage at Al Ain, we do not care about the results. It is purely about the experiences. Our target is to learn, not to win.”

    Meanwhile, World Football Academy CEO Raymond Verheijen of the Netherlands will conduct a two-day coaching clinic during the tournament from March 30-31.

    Participation on day one is free. As there is restricted seating, all participants must pre-register to ensure they are booked within the 250 available seats. To register, email [email protected].

    To participate in the One-Day Basic Course Football Periodisation on March 31, people must pre-register and make payment in full to ensure a seat from the maximum 60 that are available. To register, visit: www.worldfootballacademy.ae/calendar.

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