Dubai National School’s U12s booked their date with Old Trafford in the most dramatic way possible, winning a penalty shootout against Al Shafie while Lycée George Pompidou won the U15s category in the inaugural Dubai Schools Tournament.
The four winning teams in the tournament have now won an all expense paid trip to see Manchester United in the UK.
Dubai National School’s Mahmoud Chuihna held his nerve to smash home the winning penalty in the U12s final after a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
The youngster had given Dubai National School the lead in the first half before Jassim Ali tucked home a cross to make the scores 1-1 at halftime.
Al Shafie took their momentum into the second half and Ali was again on target.
Hamdan Ali Al Hammadi put in a superb shift in the centre of the Al Shafie defence but he couldn’t do anything about Hazim Al Rajal’s drive that forced penalties.
After two successful spot kicks for both sides, Ali cruelly missed his penalty before Chuihna finished off the shootout.
“I feel happy, we played very well,” said Dubai National School coach Mohammad Saqr. “The luck wasn’t with us in the U15s. We lost in the semi-final, but we had the luck in the U12s, we achieved our target and now we are going to England.
“My heart was beating but thank God our player scored, I knew he would.”
Penalty hero Chuihna said: “I’m so happy that I had the chance to score the winner.”
The U15s final also swung on a penalty with Lycée George Pompidou winning 2-0 against Sabis- Choueifat.
The eventual losers were perhaps marginally the better side for much of the first half that ended scoreless.
Lycée struck with five minutes left with Yahya Iraqi scoring a penalty.
The penalty shifted the momentum of the game and Majerus Enguerran finished the tie off
Awards
Player of the Tournament
U12 Boys: Hamdan Ali Al Hammadi (Al Shafie)
U15 Boys: Abdullah Shabsough (Sabis-Choueifat)
U13 Girls: Charlene Dharmai (St Mary’s)
U16 Girls: Leen Hajj (Winchester School, Jebel Ali)
Results
U12 Boys
Semi-finals
Dubai National School (Al Barsha)-B-12 3-0 National Charity School
Lycee Francais International George Pompidou 2-4 A l Shafie School
Final
Dubai National School (Al Barsha) (won 3-2 pens) 2-2 A l Shafie School
U15 Boys
Semi-finals
Lycee Francais International George Pompidou-B-15 2-1 Dubai National School (Al Barhsa)
Al Shafie School-B-15 1-2 Sabis – Choueifat
Final
Lycee Francais International George Pompidous 2-0 Sabis – Choueifat
U13 Girls
Semi-finals
St.Mary’s Catholic High School 6-0 Dubai Arab American School
Winchester School Oud Metha pens 0-0 Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein School
Final
St. Mary’s Catholic School 1-0 Winchester School (Oud Metha)
U16 Girls
Semi-finals
St. Mary’s Catholic High School 3-1 Dubai International School (Garhoud)
Lycee Francais International George Pompidou 1-0 The Winchester School (Jebel Ali)
Final
St Mary’s Catholic School 3-0 Lycee Francais International George Pompidou
